Madness Descends
by DemonLover8115
Summary: Nami finds herself rescued from certain death by the Heart Pirates, or, more importantly, their captain, Trafalgar Law. While searching for her missing crew and hiding from her devilish attacker, the pair quickly begin to bond. The challenges they face from her psychotic pursuer will either help or hurt their developing relationship. Rated M for adult content and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**I've been on a roll writing this weekend, so I figured I'd start posting this new LaNa fic I've been working on. I already have 7 chapters done, and am expecting this story to push about 15 chapters.**

**This obviously takes place after the timeskip, and learning of Law's background is really helping with my plot, actually. Seeing as we don't know that much yet, just that he was a part of Doflamingo's crew when he was younger, I'm assuming that he got into piracy around the age of 10, similar to Nami (I'm assuming on this since he said Velgo has been on the crew for the past 15 years, and this would put Law's age in early to mid 20s, depending on where in Velgo's timeline he joined... I'm sure we'll get a better idea soon enough, though)- but that is going to help play a role in their relationship's development in later chapters.  
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**Anyway, this story is going to be very mature, so an early warning for those not comfortable with adult content or psychological abuse (don't worry, Law's the good guy), then turn away now. For the most part this fic will be serious drama and romance, I naturally will have some humor sprinkled throughout, but for the most part this is a somewhat deeper plot than my other LaNa stories. This first chapter is a mainly just an intro chapter, the action will slowly build from here, so please be patient with that.  
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**Summary: Law's crew finds a heavily injured Nami abandoned on a deserted island. After taking her in and helping in her search for her missing crew, the pair find themselves bonding far beyond anything they could expect. With a devilish man with a grudge against pirates is after her, though, the two end up facing difficult challenges that can either bring them closer or push them apart.  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda.**

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She was floating, blissfully unaware of where she was. There was a repetitive tone, just barely discernible to her senses, yet nagging her consciousness all the same. She swam through the fog of her mind, content to remain where she was. Remain safe from the pain she instinctively knew was lingering below the surface. Safe from the demon that pursued her, that sent her to this empty sea in her mind. Safe from knowing what harm may come to her friends, her crew, her family.

"Nami!" The memory of her captain's pained scream jolted her awake, swept away the fog, and brought her crashing back into reality as pain overtook her and she screamed out.

"Shit," a deep voice mumbled from near her as hands began to press down on her shoulders. "Hold her down!"

As more hands came to take hold of her limbs, she came to realize she was not just screaming, she was thrashing, tearing at invisible restraints in the hopes of breaking free. The pain was unbearable now. She could feel every cut, every bruise, every painful and terrifying thought that demon had implanted in her mind.

"Nami-ya, if you don't calm down you will die," the voice from earlier informed quietly, but firmly, into her ear, bluntly shocking her out of her hysteria.

She knew this voice; she knew it far better than she ever thought she would. This wasn't the demon; this wasn't the one who inflicted her body with so many injuries she could practically feel death clawing at the door to her soul, ready to drag her down into the pits of hell. No, this voice, while it certainly belonged to a cruel and sadistic man, was the voice of her captain's one time ally. A man whose thoughts were so obscure few could ever understand where he stood.

Her screams died away, her body relaxed, allowing the man to not so gently ease her back onto the bed. Her mind then finally registered the tone that had been nagging her before, bringing her attention to the myriad of monitors next to her, cords running from the machines into her body, both monitoring and preserving her fragile life. A sudden stabbing into her upper arm took her gaze away from her life support to the man who had apparently saved her; busy administering a syringe full of what she could only hope were pain killers.

"Law," she simply mumbled, letting the frowning captain and doctor see she was finally aware of where she was.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Nami-ya," he responded, an amused smirk melting away his frown as he assessed his newest patient's condition.

"How did you find me? Why am I here?" The Straw Hat navigator asked weakly, her mind becoming fuzzy once again as she realized he hadn't just shot her up with pain killers, but some pretty strong sedatives, as well.

"Hm, those are questions better left for later. I have plenty of my own, anyway." He answered, moving to replace a few of her IVs she had dislodged in her struggle, again not taking any care in her comfort, though at that point the anesthetics he had given her made her happily oblivious to any pain she may have felt. "Sleep now, we'll talk later."

With that one command she blissfully slipped back into unconsciousness, once again sinking into the endless floating feeling, glad to know that she was at least safe for the moment.

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When she awoke again later, it was much slower, the awareness of her relative safety from earlier helping prevent another bout of hysteria. As her eyes fluttered open, she gently eased her head to the side, once again taking in the monotonous, repetitive tones of her life support, while lifting her hand to inspect the tubing and sensors maintaining her life. A flash of fur and steel brought her eyes away from her self-examination to spy the tall nodachi that belonged to her new doctor, set next to her bed as if on guard for the pirate captain.

The sound of shuffling, a deep sigh coming from the corner, stole her attention one last time to the owner of her silent bedside guard, the tall man pushing off the wall he had been leaning against. Trafalgar Law had obviously been watching her, observing her; no doubt trying to piece together the puzzle of what happened to bring her under his care, and maybe what exactly had possessed him to help another captain's crew mate.

"Thank you," she simply stated, deciding it best to show her appreciation at the man's rare act of aide.

He only nodded slightly in response as he approached her bed, pulling a chair over with him to take a seat and continue to appraise her silently from up close. The doctor's intense gaze had Nami squirming; she was never one for such open scrutiny, especially from someone who could be so unpredictable. Despite the alliance her crew had with this man at one time, an alliance her captain still upheld in his mind, even as Law continued to remind him that it was over and done, she never could feel completely comfortable and trusting of the man. This captain was known to be cruel and sadistic, yet from her own experiences she had seen him show some concern for others' well-being, even going so far as to save her captain's life, and now her own. That duel nature made her wary and untrusting, always on guard in his presence, lest he decide to turn on them at any moment.

"Tell me, Nami-ya," he suddenly intoned, drawing her out of her nervous musings, "how is it I came to find the Straw Hat navigator, bound and gagged, bloody and bruised, and almost completely naked, in a deserted town on an equally deserted island?"

At his straight forward question, the orange haired beauty flushed and turned away, not wanting to answer, and not quite sure how to, anyway.

"You were on the verge of death," Law continued after a sigh of annoyance at her refusal to speak, "whoever did that to you made quite certain you lived just long enough to be found. If anyone other than myself, or your crew's doctor, had found you first, you would surely be dead right now."

Still, Nami kept her attention turned to the wall next to her, even as she heard the other pirate get up from his chair and approach her. Only when his slender fingers grasped her jaw and forced her to turn back to him did she meet his steely and impatient gaze.

"I'd like to be aware of what I've gotten myself into, Nami-ya, unless you prefer I tie you up again, and put you back where I found you."

At his threat, that she knew he was more than willing to carry out at this point, Nami swallowed thickly before giving him a short nod, telling him she'd answer.

"I'm not quite sure what happened," she began as soon as he removed the tight hold on her jaw and sat back in his chair. "One minute I was aboard the Sunny, the next I was being taken."

"I find it hard to believe your captain would allow someone so vital to his crew to be taken so easily."

"He wasn't aware of it until it was too late."

"…" Law only stared blankly at her, not quite sure how his fellow captain could not be aware of what was happening on his own ship.

"This man, I don't know his name, all I know is that he has a deep hatred for pirates." She continued, "He has a devil fruit power that allows him to create illusions and madness in people's minds. He used that to keep the others from sensing him, Luffy only just managed to notice when I screamed his name, and even then he had too hard of a time shaking off whatever illusion he was in. By the time he realized what was happening, I was too far away to pursue."

"That still doesn't explain why he only targeted you." He stated after a few minutes of contemplative silence, only the beeping of the monitors around them filling the void.

"He said he was watching us, knew who was the easiest to take, and who would also hurt the crew the most," Nami explained. "He wants to take and torture the crew one by one. I was just first on his list; he said he wanted them to find me only when I was too far gone to be saved, make them all too distraught to protect themselves when he came again. In the end, he wants to see Luffy broken, without a shred of resolve left, so he can take him down easily."

"He obviously doesn't know your crew very well, now does he," Law snorted in amusement, a smirk once again adorning his face as he knew what the Straw Hat crew's reaction would have been to finding Nami in such a state.

Nami couldn't help but smile a little as well; their newest enemy was certainly underestimating her friends, and if Law was even a little inclined to help, then the demon man had made a very big mistake in targeting her crew.

"I've had the guys trying to get a hold of your crew since we got you on board," he began to explain while getting up from his chair to leave the room; "we haven't found them yet, though. In the meantime, you'll be safe here."

"Thank you again, Law," Nami said honestly; somewhat surprised that he was so willing to help her.

"I have no desire to ruin our tentative alliance by letting you die, Nami-ya," he explained, amused as she stared back, confusion written all over her face. "As far as your captain is concerned, we still have an alliance. It's in my best interests, at the moment, to not go back on our past agreement."

Without another word, the Heart pirates' captain left her recovery room, shutting the door on the confused navigator. Despite that, though, she was at least happy to know the Surgeon of Death was on her side at the moment, and with him knowing the circumstances, she knew he would be on guard for anything out of the ordinary.

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**Random note for the sake of randomness- just decided to watch Durarara... I'm officially in love with Izaya's VA... which coincidentally (or not, since it's the reason I started watching in the first place) is also Law's VA. *sigh* I can't wait for Punk Hazard to be animated.**

**Please review!  
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	2. Chapter 2

**So, I've been debating on this chapter, with the timing and all that... but as it stands, I'm happy with it, so I hope you all enjoy it. I'm trying not to make any of the romance seem rushed, but I'm a hopeless romantic soooo... yeah. This chapter mainly just covers some of what Law is thinking during all of this, as well as how Nami feels on board, but it also goes in to finding Luffy and co.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece of the characters, they belong to Oda Eiichiro.**

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About four days after first waking on the Heart Pirates' submarine, safely tucked away in their medical room, Nami found her late afternoon reading interrupted as Law tossed a set of clothes at her head.

"Get changed," he ordered, turning around to leave the room as quickly as he had come in, "we need to go over some maps."

The young woman removed the clothes from her face with a huff, glaring at the retreating doctor's back as he shut the door behind him. Deciding it best to ignore his rude interruption, she instead gingerly slipped out of her bed to change, just glad to get a chance to stretch her aching limbs and feel a small hint at freedom within the submarine's walls. In the few days that she had been conscious, Law had heavily enforced his orders for her to stay in bed, rarely allowing her to remain in the room alone when awake, while rotating with his crew as they kept guard at her bedside. Apparently after having her captain, and now her, wake up in hysterics aboard his submarine, he didn't take bed rest lightly for anyone, especially anyone on her crew.

It had only been the day before that he had begun letting her roam inside the ship, but never for long, and never alone. At least his crewmates could be quite entertaining, especially considering how happy they were to have a woman on board with an all-male crew, but the quiet doctor wasn't inclined to speak all that often. When in the room, Law normally settled in to either nap against a wall, or just sit and observe her; when walking the halls he barely answered her polite attempts at conversation.

With her injuries, dressing was slow, but she had managed to slip the borrowed shirt onto her torso, buttoning it most of the way up before moving onto the jeans that were undoubtedly the captain's, just as the shirt most likely was. He had already lent her one of his trademark hoodies for her short jaunts through the halls, but that was only after she adamantly refused to wear the crew's uniform. Today he apparently didn't bother with arguing over clothes, and just grabbed more of his before coming by. She had only managed to get the last of the garments on when Law decided to enter again, stopping to assess her appearance before gesturing for her to follow with his head.

"So what maps do we need to go over?" She idly asked, hoping to coax him into conversation as they made their way through the submarine's halls.

"I want to compare the location we found you, with the location you were taken from, in hopes of finding your crew faster."

Nami nodded in agreement, seeing that course of action as the most logical way of finding her ship as quickly as possible. She understood it would only narrow the search down for now; if her captain had gone in a different direction than her, or gotten outright lost, there was no telling when they'd find them, but for now this seemed to make the most sense. She could only hope that they stayed in the vicinity they had been in, especially considering she was the one with the log pose, something she was grateful to find sitting on a table at the foot of her bed, along with her climatact, a few days earlier after a moment of brief panic one morning. Law had threatened to sedate her again if she didn't calm down immediately.

The quiet captain lead the way into a room that seemed to be the heart of their submarine; monitors holding radar images dotted the walls, maps of ocean currents and islands were spread out over tables and whatever free space could be found on the walls, everything a navigator could need on that ship was there. Nami quickly entered and made her way to a group of men crowding around a map, pointing and discussing what she guessed was their current location relative to where they found her. Law walked with her, letting his gaze run over the map for a moment before pointing to an island in the corner.

"This is where we found you," he stated before moving his finger diagonally across the surface to a span of open sea some distance away, "and this is where we are."

Nami nodded in understanding before letting herself examine the map, too, leaning over to point at a section of sea near an island they had been headed to, on the opposite side of the map from their current position.

"This is where I had last logged our location," she explained, moving her finger along the map as she spoke, "we had been heading to this island in the hopes of restocking. I was knocked unconscious shortly after I was taken, but I estimate that it should have taken him about 4 days to reach the island you found me on."

"Hmmm," Law hummed in thought, turning his gaze back to the female navigator standing next to him. "When I examined you, I guessed that your injuries were about two days old, you were then unconscious on this ship for about two more days. In all, we're looking at a span of approximately twelve days since you were taken."

"If that's the case, then there's no telling how far Luffy's gotten," Nami mumbled, her hopes at finding her captain diminishing as she calculated the odds of the Sunny being anywhere nearby. Law only watched her silently, his arms crossed over his chest as he waited for some sign of where to go from there. The Straw Hat's navigator was the only one who might have an idea of what kind of direction Luffy would have taken, or at least what his crew would have decided was best without the aid of Nami's log pose and navigational skills. "My best guess would be that Robin would convince him to keep on course for the nearest island, with the hopes that they'd find me there, and if not, possibly get a new pose to find the nearest islands."

"Then I think it best to head to your original destination," Law stated, pointing to the island after turning back to the map, "if anything we can ask any of the locals if they've seen Mugiwara-ya, or the rest of your crew. With my submarine, it should only take us about two to three days to reach, barring any unforeseen events, of course."

With the captain's plan set, the crew quickly scrambled into action around them, resetting their course for the new island destination. Law, as they set to work, turned back to his patient, grabbing her by the arm to lead her back to the sick bay, and back to bed. Nami relented with a sigh, not happy about being locked away in her room again, but figuring it was best as she healed. She wanted to be in the best condition possible when they found Luffy; the last thing she wanted was for him to be any more worried about her than he probably already was.

"I'll make sure we surface some time before the island; let you get some fresh air," the captain suddenly spoke once they entered her room; shocking Nami by showing he seemed to understand her need for some freedom on the ship. She was so stunned she could only nod in agreement as she slid into her bed, just beginning to feel exhaustion set in after her short stint out of her room. She could only stare blankly at the once again silent doctor as he took his guard post in the corner.

Once her surprise finally wore off enough to allow the healing navigator to concentrate on her book again, Law continued to watch her, questioning why he seemed to find himself invariably tied to the members of this rival crew. Life certainly always became more interesting when they showed up, Luffy literally crashing into the picture right behind them. Yet still, ever since he took the risk, and saved the rival captain's life over two years before at Marineford, he found himself willingly aiding the other crew, going so far as to strike an alliance with them so he could have their support in his own New World plans. It was supposed to only be for the time, but Luffy's insistence on seeing it as a friendship had oddly made him reluctant to completely discard the relationship for the time being.

Now, as he watched the woman give up her reading in favor of drifting into a recuperative sleep, he knew he would have to protect her, have to see to it that she got back to her crew safely, and in the end, if need be, he would see to it that his ally's new enemy was taken down. He didn't like the sound of this man, anyway; deliberately targeting the long developed relationships of the crew, torturing a woman just to get into Luffy's head. It was cowardly, and showed absolutely no respect to the other captain's strength, or even the strength of the crew as a whole.

He didn't know a lot about Nami, but he knew she was one of the oldest crew members, and undoutably valuable to the crew, not just because of her position, but because of the role she played in the group's overall dynamic. She wasn't physically strong, but she was smart, and had a kind nature that wasn't always seen because of her fierce temper. Not only that, but considering her reaction and behavior after such a traumatic experience, she was without a doubt mentally and emotionally tough when faced with terrible odds, with a will to live that was not so easily broken.

At first he thought it odd that she would seem somewhat relaxed aboard his ship, giving him trust beyond what she had ever shown before. He later figured he was the lesser of two evils, and not likely to turn on her after going to so much trouble to save her when he could have just as easily left her for dead. Even still, he had to wonder at what trauma she experienced in her past that gave her such a strong resolve, such a stubborn refusal to give in to the man that had taken her.

She would scar, mentally and physically, but she didn't seem unfamiliar with that concept. He saw the scar hidden beneath her tattoo, he knew there was a story behind it, and he knew it was not a story he was likely to hear, but he felt an urge to ask anyway. It was strange for him to want to know more about someone outside of his crew, but in this case, she was now his responsibility, and as such he felt he deserved to know more about her.

At the moment, though, he'd wait for her to heal a bit before pushing for more information. Not only was he curious about her past, but he still needed to know more about a man who may very well target his crew should he take exception to the navigator's presence on board. Forcing her to face something he could clearly see she wanted to deny, was more than likely going to be quite the battle of wills, and if he didn't want to irreparably damage her for good, he'd have to make sure she was up for it.

With that thought in mind, Law let himself sink into a comfortable position against the wall and nod off, deciding he should probably try and get some rest to prepare for the coming discussion.

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**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So this chapter is a bit shorter, but we get some Law x Nami interaction, and I include a little humor at the end... it's hard not to have a little bit of fun between them, Nami's just the type to react in certain ways that are incredibly comical, plus I find every story needs a little comic relief- take the edge off of the serious tone. Oh, and I'm taking a bit of a creative leap in how much Law knows about Luffy's exploits before the Grand Line. Considering he and Kid seemed to have heard plenty of rumors about the Straw Hats before they met at Shabody, I'm assuming that he looked into what the crew had accomplished to gain their bounties and 'fame' (for lack of a better word) after allying with them. Anyway, hope you all enjoy this one.**

**Disclaimer: I still do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda... if I owned it, though, we would not have another break next week... seriously, I'm going through withdrawal already here. :(**

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Only a day had passed, and Nami found herself standing on the main deck of the Heart Pirate's ship, lifting her face to the sun as she breathed in the warm sea air. She was shocked when Law woke her up that morning to drag her up to the deck, keeping his promise of giving her some fresh air after being cooped up in the medical room for days on end. Behind her she could hear the main members of the crew running around, apparently just as happy to be spending some time at the surface as she was.

Bepo had collapsed on the deck, breathing in the air as he complained about it being too hot for him when they submerged for so long, while Shachi and Penguin seemed to be teasing the large bear. Occasionally their antics, particularly when they began dancing around or fawning over her, reminded her of her own crew, just not quite as crazy or hyperactive. The big difference, of course, came from the quiet doctor-captain who stood beside her, leaning back against the railing as he watched his crew; Law's calm yet deadly aura was certainly a far cry from her captain's childish nature.

"We should be at the island by tomorrow morning," Law suddenly said, drawing the navigator's attention to him as she glanced his way, nodding in understanding before looking back out over the ocean. "I'm curious of what we'll find there."

"What do you mean?" Nami asked, turning back to him again at his cryptic remark.

"It's quite possible we won't find Mugiwara-ya there," he explained quietly, his eyes never leaving his crew as they ran around the deck, "but it's very possible we'll find someone else."

The young woman couldn't hold back her shiver of fear as he hinted at who they might come across, whipping her face back to stare at the ocean when the captain glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She kept her eyes firmly focused on the horizon, watching a storm build in the distance that she knew would miss them, but she listened as Law slowly turned to face her, leaning his side against the railing as he angled himself to look at her face again.

"Where did that scar come from?"

"Huh? What scar?" Nami asked, turning her face back to his, confused at the sudden change in conversation, having expected him to ask on her kidnapper instead. Her only answer came when she felt his fingers brush over her shoulder before pulling her shirt down just enough to expose her tattoo covered scar. His curiosity at something so old still had her feeling very confused, not quite understanding how that could be in any way related to what was happening to her now. "Why do you want to know?"

"Just curious," he answered as he pushed the cloth back over her shoulder, pulling away to lean his back against the railing again, seemingly watching his crew as if he didn't care whether she told him her story or not. She could see it, though; he was waiting for her to say something, give him even a small hint about her past.

Nami sunk slightly over the railing, letting her head fall to look at the waves crashing against the submarine. She wasn't open with anyone about her past, even the members of her crew that joined after they reached the Grand Line. The four men that had been there to save her didn't even know much, only what her sister had told them, and she knew Luffy only inferred from seeing everything on her home island and the room she lived in as a child.

So to speak so openly about that part of her life with a man she hardly knew was not something she felt inclined to do. But she had to admit, he was doing far more than he had to, to help her out; in a way it wouldn't hurt to give him one hint.

"I was a member of the Arlong Pirates," she said, noting the shock crossing the doctor's features from her peripheral vision, "that's where my mark was."

To say the dark doctor was surprised that she answered him at all was definitely an understatement. He could plainly see Nami didn't want to discuss her past, yet with that one statement he could still put together a large chunk of the puzzle.

Law was an insightful man; he was also one who made sure to know as much as possible about anyone he associated with, good or bad. He had long ago learned of how the Straw Hat captain had come to gain his first bounty before entering the Grand Line, the final battle in East Blue against Arlong had been the tipping point for the pirate's career. Law also knew that Nami had been with the crew for quite some time before the Arlong battle, based on the dynamics of her relationships with Luffy and Zoro. That fact could only mean she was technically a part of both crews, and, considering the evidence of her scar being self-inflicted, Nami wasn't too happy about being on the Fishmen crew. Everything fell into place for him with that one statement, only one conclusion to explain how she could so easily face the edge of despair she was currently standing on.

As Law lost himself to his thoughts, Nami turned to sit down on the deck and watch as the crew began to drift back inside the ship, waving to her as they went. A moment later it was only her and the captain left on deck, the tall man seemed to finally break free of his contemplation with the sound of the door to the hull shutting, and he sank down to sit beside her.

"Mugiwara-ya saved you," he simply stated, leaning his head back against the bars of the railing to look up at the blue sky. His only affirmation of the comment came in the form of a small nod that he barely caught from the corner of his eye. "Your faith in him is the only thing holding you together."

Here Nami surprised him by shaking her head and turning to look at him with a frown.

"That's not the only thing," she began, "there's the faith I have in him, the faith I have in the crew, and the resolve to protect them all. I've been kidnapped before, that's not something that's new, and every time I end up having to rely on the others to help me, but I always find a way to protect them in the process. Anyway, I've always found that it's best to stay as calm as possible in these sorts of situations."

"That's quite reasonable, Nami-ya," Law said with a chuckle, "though, I don't know if being an experienced kidnap victim is something to brag about."

At his light-hearted jab, Nami immediately began to fume, and, without a thought of who she was with, reacted as she would with anyone else.

Law found himself lying against the deck, nursing a set of large bumps on the head as Nami stalked off to her room. He couldn't help but chuckle as he watched her slam the cabin door shut, glad to see that she was still the same fiery navigator he had gotten to know on Punk Hazard; he had been starting to worry about her sullen persona while on board his ship. And the last thing the dark doctor wanted to find himself doing was worrying about another person.

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**Review please.**

**Nami really is a good kidnapping victim, she never really seems to panic over it after the initial shock of being taken- just look at Strong World, she pretty much saved herself the first time she was taken, then gave herself a suicide mission in the hopes of helping stop Shiki.  
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**Oh, and must include a fangirl moment for Kid showing up in the last manga chapter... *squeal*. Okay, fangirl moment over. If he gets more attention later in this arc, or the next one, I might actually be tempted to write a Nami x Kid story... so can't wait to see what happens.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, I have up to 9 chapters written already, so I figured I'd give another update now since I'm making such good progress. I finally give you a little bit of action this chapter, plus some fluff (sorry, can't help it, really trying to keep their relationship slow rather than just jumping into it), so hopefully you enjoy it.**

**The next couple of chapters after this one will focus more on Law and Nami bonding a bit more, so there will be some more humor there, and less action. And yes, the Straw Hats will appear in a few chapters- I haven't forgotten about them.**

**Disclaimer: These are annoying, but as you all know, I do not own One Piece or the characters, I could only dream to have Oda's creative genius.**

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Law was stunned speechless by the sight before him. He never thought he'd witness something like this happen to his own crew; it was too far out of the realm of possibilities for them. There were no words to describe his disbelief at their behavior right then.

"Come on, Law," a bright voice called out before a pile of bags was thrust into his arms, "my new clothes aren't going to carry themselves."

They had just that morning landed at their island destination, and somehow Nami had convinced his crew to join her as she shopped for some new clothes in case she had to continue traveling with them for a while longer. His crew happily obliged after a simple bat of an eye by the sly navigator; Law, on the other hand, had stated that they were there to get information on her crew's whereabouts, not shop.

"But you said yourself, he may not be here," she had answered back, leaning into him slightly as she convinced him to join them. "Anyway, we can always ask around as we go."

In the end, he gave in, agreeing to accompany her and his crew through the town's shopping district, under the assumption they would also search for the Straw Hats. He never expected he'd end up watching her talk every vendor into giving her a 90% discount, then turning himself and his crew into pack mules.

"Nami-ya," he practically growled at her, succeeding in getting her attention away from the windows of the next shop, "we're supposed to be looking for your captain."

"Yes, but he's obviously not here," Nami answered, "It's too quiet."

Law found himself snorting in agreement at her reasoning. If Luffy was in fact on that island, or had been there for any length of time; the harbor town would be in ruins as the Straw Hat crew searched for their missing navigator.

"So, what do you suggest we do from here?" Law asked, still holding her bags as they stood on the sidewalk while the rest of the crew stood around them, more bags happily loaded into their arms.

"… I think we need to go back to the other island," she answered after a short pause, looking away slightly as she chewed her lip nervously. "He might have led them there."

The pirate captain nodded in agreement before turning back to the docks and his ship, signaling to his crew and 'guest' that they were done there. As expected, they all followed, even the once again sullen woman.

As they neared the docks, Law found himself glancing back at the navigator, a strange feeling overtaking him as he watched her follow. She seemed to be fighting something, but he couldn't tell what; all he could see was her faced locked in concentration as she stared at the ground before her. The look unsettled him as he felt that there was something there that didn't belong, someone unwelcome.

He knew he was right to be concerned when Nami suddenly stopped in her tracks, her hands flying up to grip the side of her head as she screamed out.

"Shit," Law cursed, dropping his load in favor of moving towards Nami, taking hold of her head as he forced her to look at him. The foggy and glassy gaze she returned signaled to him that she wasn't there anymore, her mind had been seized by whatever outside force he had been sensing. "Nami! Nami!"

"NO!" She suddenly screamed again, lashing out at the captain before bolting away from him, "I won't let you take me!"

"Get the ship ready to leave!" Law ordered his crew before taking off after the sprinting navigator.

Nami raced into the woods surrounding the town, intent on escaping the man chasing her. Some part of her was screaming at her to turn around and go back, that the one following her at that moment wasn't the one she needed to fear. But the visions fought back against her reason, bore down on her psyche and brought a sense of panic unlike any she had felt before. She had to escape.

"Nami!" She heard her pursuer call out to her, another stray thought trickling into the panic telling her how odd it was that he wasn't using his normal honorific.

The dark doctor was amazed at how fast the woman was running from him, but he knew he was faster in the end. With his devil fruit powers he quickly switched his position so he would cut her off, tackling the hysterical woman before she even realized what he had done.

"NO! Please! No!" She continued to scream, thrashing under him as he pinned her to the ground.

"Nami! If you don't snap out of this yourself, I'll do it for you!" Law warned, hoping that he might get some hold onto her rational mind in that moment.

Instead she screamed out again and doubled her efforts to get free of his tight hold. Once again he cursed under his breath, strangely unwilling to follow through with his threat. So he did the only other thing he thought might work to break the hidden devil fruit user's hold on the woman, and teleported them back to his ship, to her bed, and ordered his crew to submerge as fast as they could. He hoped the sea surrounding them would prevent her attacker from using his abilities on her any further, the natural weakness for powers of this kind.

"Nami!" He yelled at her again, pinning her down on her bed as he watched the evidence of the illusions fade from her eyes. As her screams died, and her body relaxed, Law waited for her to turn her once again clear, brown eyes to him. He wished he hadn't, though, as he caught sight of the pure fear that still gripped her mind. He knew that whatever she saw had just instilled a strong sense of distrust in him, and he figured his position atop her wasn't making it any better.

"What did you see?" He asked the slowly calming woman, letting up on his hold slightly, but not yet daring to completely free her lest she lash out again.

Nami flinched beneath him and looked away, closing her eyes as she regained some composure, even as her body tensed again at the reminder of her most recent bout of illusions.

"Nami-ya," Law prodded, releasing his hands from her as he sat back on his knees, crouching over her as he waited. "I need to know now what it is I'm up against here."

"You betrayed my trust," she answered, turning her head just slightly to look straight at him, "you handed me over to him; you even helped him torture me. He showed me that you were behind it all, that every cut, every bruise was from you."

Law sighed and began to lift himself from his position over Nami when she paused, but froze when she gave one more, quiet remark.

"You killed Luffy."

He went wide eyed with shock at her final comment, sinking back down as he turned his attention to her barely restrained tears. He felt insulted, not by Nami, but by her pursuer. Law had every intention of taking down his ally when the time came, but that was still a ways off, and he certainly wouldn't go about doing it in such a cowardly, roundabout way.

"Nami-ya," he sighed again, feeling oddly remorseful for having to say this, "someday I may have to kill your captain. When One Piece is found, we will fight over it; you know this." Law paused here, letting the navigator nod in understanding before he continued. "But you should also know I respect Mugiwara-ya, and your crew, enough to fight him man to man over it. And anyway, I'd be committing suicide if I went after you or the others first."

His honest reasoning seemed to work well enough in calming Nami again, so Law finally let himself move completely off her to stand next to the bed, watching her as she sat up, pulling her knees up to rest her head on them.

"I'm causing you so much trouble," she mumbled, once again sinking into a melancholic state that Law felt didn't suit her.

The dark doctor surprised the woman by placing what seemed to be a comforting hand atop her head before leaning down to level his face with hers.

"Don't worry so much about it, between you and your captain I'm used to it," Law said, smirking at the pouting navigator in the hopes that it'd at least piss her off enough to forget her problems, adding a chuckle as he continued. "Anyway, if I ever felt it was too much for me to handle, I'd just throw you overboard and be done with it."

Nami continued to pout, but he could see a light in her eyes again that told him it was more playful, his confident and laid back aura setting her at ease with the situation.

"Get some rest, Nami-ya," he ordered after tousling her hair a bit and pulling away to leave. Law was surprised, though, when he felt her grab his hand and pull him back to her bedside. Turning his surprised eyes back to her, he could see her fear coming back.

"Please don't leave me alone," she begged; her weakness, something he would normally find to be rather pathetic, managing to successfully pull at his heart.

Law was certainly uncomfortable with the situation in that moment, narrowing his eyes at the navigator as he thought about what was happening. He knew he couldn't leave her, not as she was, and he hated to admit that a small, but rapidly growing, part of him wanted to stay.

So, with one last sigh he sunk down next to the navigator, leaning back against the wall at the head of her bed as she settled in next to him.

As Nami drifted to sleep, obviously exhausted after her latest run-in with illusions, Law found himself wondering why she continued to hold his hand, and, more importantly, why he didn't want to let go.

* * *

**Oh, and collective thank you to all my reviewers so far.**


	5. Chapter 5

**So, short chapter, but some fluff and humor (don't ask me where the next 2 chapters came from, I just felt like putting humor in here as they kill some time). I'll probably post the next chapter early to make up for this being so short.**

**Thanks again to my reviewers, usually I try to respond to each of you individually, if I can... but, to be honest, I've been kinda lazy, so yeah. :3 On one reviewer's question/confusion on this guy chasing after Nami and the hallucinations she's experiencing- it'll be explained eventually, I'm leaving it a mystery that'll be answered bit by bit so hopefully by the end you will understand. If it helps clarify anything, though, I'll give a small spoiler and tell you I'm planning on calling his Devil Fruit 'Psi-Psi', where 'Psi' is the Greek letter used as a symbol for psychology/psychiatry. Hope that helps... but might not... :p  
**

**Standard disclaimer: Still don't own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Oda Eiichiro.**

* * *

Law awoke when a flash of light lit up the dim room, snapping his eyes open to glare at two of his crew's giggling faces.

"Ahh, morning Captain," Penguin greeted nervously, pulling away as he hid the camera that he had just used moments before.

"You looked comfortable last night, so we didn't want to bother you then," Shachi explained, glancing inconspicuously at Law's current position, and bed partner.

The dark doctor eased up on his cold stare as he turned his head to look down at the mass of orange hair resting on his chest while he lay in Nami's recovery bed. Apparently at some point during the night he had managed to nod off while contemplating the very woman he had actually been attempting to comfort. His body had sunk down to lie on the bed rather than his original sitting position, and somehow during that movement, the navigator had shifted to curl up against him, using his chest as an extra pillow. Judging by the position of his arm snaked around her back; he didn't seem to mind in his unconscious state, something that only added more questions to his confused mind.

With a sigh Law turned back to his crew, who had hoped to use his distraction to sneak away, and made quick use of his Room to claim their camera as his own. He allowed a grin to form on his face as he took in their disappointed groans, tossing the camera in the air and catching it as he relished his small victory.

Unfortunately he couldn't enjoy the moment much longer as he felt Nami stir atop him, dragging his attention back to the woman as he watched with guarded eyes as she awoke to the new day. At first she didn't seem completely aware of her surroundings as she blinked up at him, something that brought the proximity of her face to his attention, before she went wide eyed and bolted up and off of him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She hollered, backing away to the other end of the bed while attempting to clutch together the borrowed shirt she still wore.

"You asked me to stay last night. Remember?" Law explained with a sigh, quickly taking the chance to get out of her bed and put more distance between them. "If I had known you were just going to use me as a pillow, I would have declined."

The doctor once again found himself smirking as the young woman started blushing before attempting to throw her actual pillow at his face; he caught it before tossing it back at her while turning to take his leave.

"I'll go see if breakfast is ready in the galley," he idly commented, walking passed his crewmates who still stood in the door.

The two men watched their captain make his way down the hall, his hands in his pockets as if he hadn't a care in the world- completely normal to anyone that didn't know him- but they could tell by his slightly stiff posture that there was a lot on the man's mind. As soon as he turned a corner, the pair turned their attention back to the young navigator who had decided it best to try and busy herself by going through all the clothes she had bought the day before, thankful that the crew had kept a hold of it even as she was losing her mind.

"Ah, Nami-chan," Penguin spoke up, causing the girl to jerk her head up to look at her guests, obviously not aware that they had been there the entire time. "Ah… how are you feeling today?"

"Oh, I'm doing fine, thanks," she answered, smiling at the other pirate before going back to organizing her things.

"That's good," Shachi added; glancing at his friend as a thought came to him before looking back at the cat thief. "So…"

"What is it?" Nami asked after looking back up from her things. She watched as the two men looked at each other, seeming to have a silent conversation about something while she stood waiting for them to say whatever it was they wanted.

"Well, we were wondering… the captain took our camera…" Penguin started to explain.

"Do you think you could steal it back for us?" Shachi finished.

"Why did he take your camera?"

"…" The pair couldn't seem to meet her eyes as they looked everywhere but her, whistling to themselves in their worry.

"You took a picture of us, didn't you?"

"Yes! We're sorry!" They exclaimed, jumping in surprise before bowing low to her in apology.

Nami's only response was a defeated sigh before slamming the door shut on them.

* * *

Law sat with the rest of his crew in the kitchen, his sword in place against his chair, his feet propped up on the table as he picked at the food in front of him. He was far too distracted to really consider enjoying his meal, his mind consumed with thoughts of his current guest and what he was doing with her aboard his submarine. The young navigator, while having not been with them long, had managed to carve a subtle place for herself within the crew. Somehow throughout the course of her bed rest and limited interaction with the guards he posted for her, she had come to be adored by the men on the ship, and he would be lying if he didn't admit he was growing to be somewhat fond of her as well.

The doctor had no idea how he could develop any sort of attachment to a member of another pirate crew so easily, but he imagined their previous association during their alliance on Punk Hazard had some influence on his overall opinion of her. He had seen her willingness to do whatever she could to help kids that had absolutely no connection to her, though he felt it was a waste of time he couldn't help admire her resolve back then. He witnessed firsthand her cunning and intelligence, and her stealth that certainly gave her a knack at petty theft. She seemed to call out one's protective instincts, either without any intention or purposefully through somewhat underhanded tactics, gaining a reliable group of bodyguards amongst the men on her crew, and now his own, no matter the means. It also didn't hurt that she was a gorgeous woman.

Law's musings were cut off as the very subject of his mind's wandering thoughts walked in, seating herself at the end of the table farthest from him. He let out a huff of amusement at her avoidant behavior, smirking as he watched her take some food while doing everything she could to prevent making eye contact with him. While he couldn't blame her for being embarrassed about the morning's events, he still found it entertaining.

As he watched her make polite conversation with the group around her, the doctor took the time to indiscriminately examine her appearance. Since she had first come into his care, Nami had made rapid progress in physically healing from her attacks; so much so that he was even beginning to doubt his initial thoughts on her scarring, as many of her wounds were rapidly vanishing. He knew that the woman lead as healthy a lifestyle as she could while aboard a pirate ship and it definitely showed in her shorter recovery time. Law couldn't help but notice, though, the few lingering marks that were exposed by her new outfit; a particularly deep gash on her thigh was plainly visible with the shorts she wore, and her pink halter top only helped to show off the fading patchwork of bruises on her shoulder blades.

His eyes narrowed as he openly stared at Nami, the blemishes to her otherwise healthy appearance only bringing out annoyance and anger with her attacker. While Law was certainly known for his cruelty, he did know when to use restraint, plus his devil fruit abilities gave him the ability to torture without necessarily causing a great deal of physical pain- at least not when he didn't necessarily want to hurt his opponents.

Law's train of thought was broken again when he caught Nami's gaze on him, the woman watching him through the corner of her own narrowed eyes, obviously not happy with his staring.

"Nami-ya," he called out, smirking when she jump slightly in surprise before lifting her head to look at him straight on, "how's your leg?"

The navigator glanced down at the leg he had been concerned with, twisting her thigh slightly to look at the wound better, before answering. "It's still a bit sore, but otherwise fine."

"Let me know if it starts worsening; I may need to put you on another round of antibiotics to help with the healing."

At Nami's short nod, the doctor picked himself up and made his way out to wander the ship, once again letting his thoughts wander as they wish, inevitably bringing him back to the orange haired pirate girl who had so fully captured his attention.

* * *

**So again, sorry for it being super short. If I can get the next chapter of my Fairy Tail story out tonight or tomorrow, I'll post the next chapter for this one, too.**

**And if I by any chance have readers from the Aurora, CO, area (or anywhere, really) who were effected by the devastating shooting at the Batman premiere last night/early morning- my thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family. My home state has been going through too much lately with the wildfires; this was far beyond what anyone could have foreseen happening.  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**So, as promised another quick release (even though I'm not done with my other story's chapter- I'm close enough that I feel like I can allow myself to post this one now). Well, more humor, and I give some nice sexual tension, finally... so even though it's short again, I think it's worth it. Anyway, can't have a story with Nami in it without a poker game, in my opinion, so I'm fulfilling that requirement, lol. Oh, and I know tells aren't as simple as I make them out to be here, but, too bad, I simplified it for the sake of the story... it's fiction, so I can do that.**

**Disclaimer: As before- don't own One Piece or characters, they belong to Oda.**

* * *

Disappointed, almost bordering on pained, groans echoed from the men's room aboard the Heart Pirate's submarine, guiding the wandering captain in that general direction as his curiosity got the better of him.

High feminine laughter answered it for him before he even stepped into the room.

"So you've taken to robbing my crew blind during your stay, Nami-ya?" Law questioned from just inside the door, smirking as she stuck her tongue out at him before racking in a large pile of gold.

"I wouldn't say that; I'm quite certain that they can clearly see me robbing them."

The doctor couldn't help but snort in amusement before sauntering over to the makeshift poker table his crew had set up in the middle of their quarters, taking a seat after handing his nodachi to Bepo. He had managed to stay away from the navigator for the whole of the day, but, despite any embarrassment on her part, or confusion on his, he couldn't very well avoid her for the rest of her stay with them. Law figured taking on the challenge of a game of poker with the cunning thief was safe enough, anyway, and considering her relaxed appearance, aided by the bottle of liquor beside her, no doubt, she wasn't so abashed over her earlier sleeping position anymore.

As he pulled a small wad of Belli from a pocket and tossed it on the table, he noticed the curious eyebrow Nami raised at him.

"Knowing the consequences you still want to join in, huh?" She asked, smirking as she began to shuffle the deck of cards.

"Might as well try to take back their money for myself," he replied with a bored shrug, leaning back in his chair while she began dealing out the cards.

It was a simple game of five-card draw, highest hand wins; something that surprised him since he figured the navigator would have used every crazy twist and rule she could come up with to confuse the men into losing easily. After two hands, he realized she didn't need the confusion- she was just that good.

Law had lost a quick 5000 Belli, lucky that it was only that much as she kept the stakes low for the first few pots, but he could see her working up to taking more and more. Normally he found himself adept at reading people well enough to tell when they were bluffing, or cheating, which he suspected, but in Nami's case he just couldn't read her. With each and every hand she continued to chat and talk as if they weren't gambling at all, her hands clearly visible at all times, no signs of worry or care in what was happening. She didn't even deal every hand, the group taking turns playing the role of dealer, so he couldn't tell if she was rigging the deck in her favor. It was only out of sheer good fortune that he had even managed to win a few pots, and he knew the only reason for that was because Nami had folded out early in the betting.

After two hours of playing, it was down to he and the woman, the rest of the crew completely tapped out of their spending allowances and then some. Law calmly watched her take the cards Penguin had dealt her, tipping the hat she had somehow won off of Shachi at him before taking a sip of her newest drink. He took the time to glance at his own somewhat promising hand when Nami sent him a sly smile, leaning against the table on one hand as she waited for him to make a move.

"1000 Belli," he bet, placing the note in the middle of the table before turning to his opponent.

"Call," she answered, her smile never wavering as she took her own bill from the large stack in front of her.

"2 cards," he addressed to Penguin, tossing the cards he didn't want and waiting for the new deal. His hand had definitely improved.

"1 card," Nami spoke up, taking her new card before looking at Law. "So, what'll it be, Law?"

The doctor didn't have much left, he knew not to take her lightly, but at the rate they were going, if he played any more conservatively, they'd be there all night before he eventually lost it all.

"All in."

"Call."

"Flush, jack high," he called out after flipping over his cards, grinning as he waited to see what Nami might have.

Law thought he may have won for a second when she sighed, but the grin spreading over her face shortly after had him slumping further into his chair.

"Full house, kings over threes!" She answered, jumping to take her winnings as soon as her cards were shown. "Belli!"

Everyone in the room groaned as they watched her hug her winnings, quickly stuffing all the cash and gold into her shirt and shorts- wherever it would fit.

"How do you do it?" Law moaned, looking under the table, taking her arm to see if she had any cards tucked in her bracelet, picking thru her long hair for the same, thoroughly examining everything he could to try and figure out how she cheated them out of everything- he was certain that was the only way.

"You touch your hat with a bad hand, and pop your right index finger with a good hand," she answered, grinning cheekily at him as he looked at her in confusion, his hand subconsciously going to his hat as he thought about it. As he stood watching her, she then turned to the other crew members and pointed to each one in turn, "Shachi gets distracted by my cleavage and forgets to look at his cards before drawing, and bets more at the same time. Penguin stutters with his first bet if he has a decent hand- he's also easily distracted. Jean Bart starts growling when he has a bad hand, and Bepo just sucks."

"I'm sorry," the bear mumbled, a cloud of depression forming over his head at the comment.

"…" Law and his crew just stared at her in shock, not even bothering to admonish the sensitive bear for his response, as they watched her finish collecting her winnings.

"Thanks to you guys it looks like I might be able to get that new survey equipment I've been wanting," she offhandedly said while counting a stack of cash and walking out the door to head back to her room.

As the men of his crew began falling over in defeat, Law shook from his stupor and quickly followed after the excited navigator.

"Wait a minute," he called to her, grabbing her arm to spin her to face him in the hall. "You had to have cheated somehow- I know you well enough to know you use whatever means necessary when the end result is money, no matter how undignified it may be."

"I didn't cheat, Law," Nami informed him happily, laughing as she brushed off his accusation as if it were nothing new, and knowing her it probably wasn't. "The only thing I did, other than reading all of you perfectly, was use a little of my natural talents to distract a few of the men."

As she said that she apparently decided to demonstrate, leaning in to the frowning doctor just enough so that he could feel her warm body and a hint of her curves, daring him to glance down briefly to catch sight of the cleft of her breasts- which she had already openly admitted to using on Shachi. When he felt a gentle hand brushing his side, Law snapped his eyes back up to see deeply hooded and inviting eyes peering back, her face leaning up as if begging him to do something he was sorely tempted to do, much to his surprise.

Part of his mind was questioning if she had too much alcohol that night, thinking the light blush on her cheeks and the strange forwardness she was showing had to be caused by that. Another part didn't care, a part he had been trying desperately to ignore, as it urged him to slowly bend down, inch closer to the woman, and reach out to take hold of her before she could slip away.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on which half of his warring mind you asked, the moment his own hand met the small of her back, Nami pulled away, smoothly escaping his hold to continue her trek down the hall.

"And that's how it's done," she called back to him, turning her head to wink and stick her tongue out at him.

Law stood stalk still in the middle of the hall, staring after the woman even after she disappeared into her room. He knew Nami was a beautiful and alluring woman, one who knew how to tease men and get what she wanted out of them; but he had never been on the receiving end of that sort of behavior from her. It left him speechless, and horribly turned on.

It was one thing for him to become attached to her because of his strange respect for her and her crew; it was another thing to find himself so overwhelmingly attracted to her, as he was now finding himself to be. Now the confusion he had been dealing with since that morning was back a hundredfold, and he was wishing he hadn't agreed to stay with her the previous night, or join in the poker game that night; then maybe all of it could have been avoided.

As his fog addled and confused mind finally cleared enough for him to walk towards his quarters, intent on finding some peace to think, and hopefully sort out the mess he was in, he realized that something was amiss. Nami had just successfully distracted him, being far coyer in her behavior than she had in the poker game, going so far as to even touch him. It was then that he reached into the pocket of his hoodie, groping around for the only other thing he had put there that day: a very specific camera, with very incriminating pictures in it.

The Heart Pirate captain had actually been pick-pocketed.

* * *

**Hope you all enjoyed that, don't worry, the serious tone will be back in the next chapter... still some humor, but I'll once again focus on the main portion of the plot. Law will get another small hint about Nami's past, and the Straw Hats will finally make an appearance in the story, so look forward to it!**


	7. Chapter 7

**So more LaNa interaction, and we finally get contact with the Straw Hats! Those wondering about the mystery attacker, you'll finally see him and get something of a description in the next chapter, again I'll be giving little bits and pieces on him as the story goes, but the end you'll know more about his motives and history.**

**Oh, and again since we only have a small hint on Law's past concerning Doflamingo, I'm assuming he joined the crew around the age of 10, maybe a little older, considering Velgo's comment of him getting bigger making it sound like he had known him since he was just a kid. It works for his relationship with Nami in this story, so I'm standing by that reasoning... I can't wait to find out his entire past, though!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda (only he can make Law be badass and kind of an idiot in one panel- seriously, don't call the guy with your heart stupid! You're just asking for whatever happens next. I had to lol at that one, poor Law, he's getting so beaten up right now).**

* * *

As afternoon neared the day after the impromptu poker tournament; and Law's unfortunate experience with a cat thief, the Heart captain found himself once again wandering the halls. This time the doctor was actually looking for the troublesome woman who had taken over his thoughts since first arrival. When he had gone to check on her before lunch, he came to find the navigator missing from her room. He went to check the kitchen to see if she could be eating with the crew, but found her absent from the meal, as well. Luckily his cook had pointed him towards their own navigator's work room, where he found Nami deeply engrossed in a sketching of the island they had only briefly visited before her bout of induced hallucinations.

Law let himself into the room, taking a seat on the opposite side of the drawing desk while taking a peek at her work. He let himself sit quietly and watch as she used notes and measurements his crew member had taken, meticulously calculating and scaling with the information to create an extremely accurate, if incomplete, map of the port area of the island. As she furiously sketched small details of the town they docked at onto the map, the doctor took notice of the untouched sandwich sitting beside her, frowning at the fact that she hadn't eaten since breakfast hours earlier.

"You need to eat something, Nami-ya," he chastised, successfully getting her attention as her head whipped up to take in his presence with wide eyes.

"When did you get here?"

"A while ago," Law answered with an amused smirk on his face, surprised that he had somehow managed to sneak up on the normally cautious woman, "since you were working on the currents."

"Hmm, sorry," Nami said as she stretched her tense back, relaxing again as she moved to eat her forgotten sandwich, "I'm just so used to always being interrupted when I'm working that I just took advantage of the peaceful atmosphere, I guess."

"That's understandable," he replied, leaning forward to slide the map closer to get a better look. "You're certainly talented. Did you draw the landmarks of the town from memory?"

Nami sent him a quick nod as she ate before swallowing to explain her process a bit. "Your navigator took some decent notes, especially on the currents in the area, but without the proper surveying equipment I really only had my memory to go off of for the island. Hopefully I can get back there someday to complete it properly, but for now this will do."

"I knew you had a sixth sense when it came to weather and navigation, I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise that you're a skilled cartographer, too. I can see why Mugiwara-ya wouldn't want to give you up."

Law moved to hand the map back to the navigator across from him before leaning back in his chair to watch her as she ate.

"I'm curious, it must have taken years to develop the skills you have, how long have you been mapping?" He asked after a few moments in silence, surprising the woman with his sudden inquisitiveness.

"I've really always had a talent for it," Nami answered quietly, looking down to pick at the chips on her plate as she seemed to decide how much she wanted to tell him. "I drew my first accurate map when I was only 10 years old…"

"Quite young," Law interjected as the navigator paused, urging her on to possibly divulge a little more about her past.

"… It's how I became a part of Arlong's crew," she finished so faintly he almost missed it.

Nami watched as her companion was shocked by the unexpected information, his eyes widening as he stared back at her. For whatever reason she felt like she could be honest with this man, maybe not be completely open and frank about her past, but she at least felt comfortable enough with dropping a hint here and there. In this case, she knew he would have a better understanding of her considering his own early entrance into the pirating world as a part of Doflamingo's crew.

"I guess, in a way, we have something in common; don't we, Nami-ya?" he idly asked, his normal smug smirk crossing his face as he relaxed again, leaning back in his chair to take in the sight of the navigator again.

Unfortunately the peaceful atmosphere in the room was broken, right as Nami was preparing to speak again, when Jean Bart came barging into the room, breathing hard as his determined eyes set on the pair.

"We found them," he began, pausing for another breathe, "we found Mugiwara!"

* * *

"Luffy, we're almost to the next island," Robin addressed the captain sitting somberly on the ship's figurehead, her only answer was a short nod from the young man as he looked straight ahead at the sea. "We'll find her, Luffy."

"Luffy! Robin-chan!" Sanji suddenly called out from the kitchen, "come quick! We're getting a call on the Den Den Mushi!"

The Straw Hat captain didn't waste any time in rocketing himself across the ship and into the galley, staring expectantly at the small snail communicator as it buzzed to life.

"Bzzzz… Mugiwara… Bzzz," the message called out, cutting in and out as the man spoke, "This is Jean Bart… Bzzzz… Heart Pirates…. Bzzzz."

"Law's crew?" Sanji muttered in question around his freshly lit cigarette, glancing at Robin as she walked in to join the rest of the crew.

"This is Usopp," the sniper who took the call answered back into the Den Den Mushi, "what is it?"

"We…Bzzzz…. Nami…" Jean Bart's voice once again cut through the interference.

"Nami!" Luffy hollered out, grabbing the receiver from his crewmate. "What about Nami? Do you have her?"

"Nami… Bzzz… injured…" he continued, his words still mangled as they came through, "Captain… Bzzzz… care… Bzzzz… safe…. Bzzzz"

With that last word the transmission cut out completely, sinking into static and white noise as they once again left their communicator's range.

The crew looked at their captain's shadowed face, waiting for him to speak up as he continued to stare at the receiver in his hand.

"So, what do we do from here?" Zoro calmly asked.

"It's quite possible the Heart Pirates are on the next island, and it sounds like they have Nami with them, or at least know something about her," Robin reasoned, still watching Luffy expectantly.

"We continue on to the island, then," was the captain's low remark as he stood up, setting aside the snail transponder as he prepared to walk out of the room, "if she's with Traffy, then I know she's safe."

The crew was left to watch his retreating back, the man solemnly tipping his trademark hat over his face as he returned to his post at the head of the ship. They marveled at his show of faith in his fellow pirate captain, but couldn't help but worry over the little bit of information they had just received. They had just heard that she had been injured, and though she may be safe now, there was no telling how deep her wounds ran.

* * *

"I lost the signal after that," Jean Bart explained to his captain after replaying the transmission recording for him, the large man glancing at the somber woman standing behind Law. "But, from what I can tell, it looks like they're heading to an island not far from us, probably only a day out of our way."

"Then change course for that island," Law ordered, turning to face Nami in time to see her fearful eyes, still full of hope at the prospect of seeing her friends again. "We have to find them before _he_ does."

As the captain began to walk out of the communication room, he put a hand on Nami's shoulder, quietly guiding her out with him to lead her back to the work room she had been in before. Once comfortably seated again, the navigator could only give the man across from her a questioning look as he leaned over the table.

"Might as well take advantage of the peace while it lasts, Nami-ya," he explained while pushing a fresh sheet of cartography paper her way, "if all goes well, you may not get the chance to work like this for a while."

Nami let herself laugh quietly at him, taking the offered paper and starting a new sketch, enjoying the doctor's silent company as she worked.

"By the way, Nami-ya," Law spoke again a few minutes later, smirking when she glanced up at him, "I'd like that camera back before you go."

* * *

**Review please!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Longer chapter! YAY! So, you finally get a description of the guy chasing after Nami, plus some nice action, and more romance... really, this chapter has it all. ^_^**

**There's also a poll concerning this story up on my profile page (at least there should be...), I'm 2 chapters ahead right now and getting to a point where I need to decide if I want to put a lemon or anything sexual in this story, and I figured I'd get some input from my readers. Anyway, if you're interested in giving me your opinion, please see the poll on my profile... and if it's not there since I've noticed sometimes takes its time to update my profile after I edit it, then just give me your answer (yes, no, I don't care) in a review. I'll close the poll in about a week, so vote while you can.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda.**

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"No," she gasped as she fell to her knees in the snow covered street, her long orange hair falling over her shoulders as her head bowed in grief. "This can't be happening."

"What in the world happened here?" Penguin asked from behind her while bending down to place a comforting hand on Nami's shoulder.

All around them the port town was in ruins, freshly torn apart with light snow falling silently on the scattered debris. The townspeople were still digging themselves out, caring for the injured in a make shift hospital in the center of the small village. No one seemed to pay any attention to the newcomers, all going about their business as they recovered from whatever struck the island.

Nami knew what had happened, and she could see by looking at Law's annoyed expression that he knew, too. His silent frown as he surveyed the damage from beside her was far more telling, his blue eyes busy sweeping over the crowd as he searched for something to give the chaos around them more reason than what they suspected. Instead just more proof of what happened jumped out at them: some buildings smashed to pieces, others caught up in an explosion, even more showing signs of being cleanly cut, the remains of foreign plants scattered about, and even more collapsed buildings.

"There has to be a reason behind this," Nami quietly remarked, looking up at Law as he glanced down at her huddled form, "Luffy wouldn't cause this level of damage without purpose. He wouldn't involve innocent civilians like this."

The captain beside her could only nod in agreement, not quite understanding what could have pushed his ally to such an extreme, but certainly suspecting one cause. As he turned his attention to the crowd again, he could feel something nagging at him as he caught the eyes of a man within the group, uninjured and watching them, unlike all the rest.

"Bepo," Law called out as he walked forward, intent on investigating the strange intuitive feeling he had. The large bear quickly followed after, leaving Penguin and Shachi to take care of the woman sitting in the snow, wrapping her borrowed coat tight around her form while she stared after him as he made his way into the group of townspeople.

His eyes never left the form of the suspicious man as they walked through the crowd, even after he turned to walk further away, violet hair falling into place to conceal his face as he seemed to escape into the masses.

"It's strange; these people haven't seemed to notice us, yet," Law remarked offhandedly as they continued to navigate through the center of the town, taking note of the strangely blank faces they passed, devoid of emotion or awareness. "You'd think after a pirate attack they'd be, at the absolute least, weary of another pirate crew entering the city."

From behind him, Bepo agreed that it was odd, stopping every so often to put his face in front of another person, waving a paw in their eyes to try and garner some sort of response.

"It's like we're not even here," the bear stated, moving to once again follow after his captain, breaking out of the crowd to find the man they had been slowly pursuing. He had apparently stopped retreating, his back facing them as a long trench coat blew around his form, obviously waiting for them to reach him.

"Concerned?" The man ahead of them called out, turning slightly to send an eerie grin back, his tanned skin blending with the shadows so he looked more like the Cheshire Cat. His thin wavy hair fell to his chin; the purple strands blew in the icy wind, just barely concealing what looked to be a scar running from the man's right cheek, over the bridge of his nose, and ending above his left eye.

Law didn't answer, just stood ready for anything this odd man may do, once more feeling that sensation of something being off.

"Pirates!" Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted, drawing the doctor's attention away slightly as he tilted his head down and back to watch the large group start moving towards Nami and his crew, the sound of swords being drawn and guns loaded worrying him only slightly.

"Again, shichibukai," the man practically growled at Law, successfully getting his attention once more, "are you concerned?"

"Not really," he finally responded, his normal smug smirk crossing his face as he listened to the sounds of his men shouting behind him.

"I think you should be."

It was then he felt it; a wave of energy carrying over him and the people behind him, and it was at that moment a scream that could only belong to Nami carried over the chaos of the battle cries, forcing Law to whip his head around to see what happened. He found her huddled on the ground, clutching her head with her eyes shut tight, while the throng of villagers huddled around her. Shachi and Penguin didn't seem to be in any position to help her as they looked to be lost in another world, completely unaware of any danger around them, especially strange since they had only moments before been holding off the angry mob.

"Bepo," he quickly ordered his crew mate, glad to see that he still seemed aware, sending the bear into the crowd with that one word as he turned to face off with the mystery man who was obviously behind it all. As soon as he spun around, though, he found himself stabbed in the side with a dagger by the violet haired man, only the sight and sound of his long brown coat blowing in the wind alerting Law to the attack before it was too late.

"You shouldn't have gotten involved with my little hunting game, Trafalgar Law," the man said with his Cheshire grin still in place, leaning forward to dig his blade further into his flesh before jumping away with a maniacal laugh, "but I would have gone after you eventually. All you pirates are scum; worse yet are the ones who pretend to work for the government, but are only protecting their own disgusting interests."

Law glared at the man while holding his side, spitting out the blood that was pooling in his mouth from the trauma of his wound. As he heard Bepo fight to reach Nami and the other crew members, the doctor allowed himself to smirk at his opponent again while encasing them in his 'Room.' Without hesitation he quickly drew his long sword and sliced it through the air with the intent of severing the man limb from limb, and gaining some sort of edge for himself.

"That won't work," he heard someone darkly whisper behind him just as the body parts before him vanished into nothingness, and Law once again felt a cold blade tear into his flesh, cutting into his right shoulder and working its way down his arm.

The man he had thought he was fighting was nothing more than an illusion, the real form hiding himself from the pirate's perception by altering his senses. Law realized it held a similarity to Nami's 'Mirage Tempo,' only the man's devil fruit power allowed him to alter one's mind, not just the air around him. He had caught him off guard, taking hold of his mind before the pirate captain could even think to defend himself with Haki.

As his opponent tore the dagger out, Law let out an annoyed growl before glancing back at his crew behind him. Bepo had reached Nami and was busy kicking away the townspeople, but his other two crew members were still stuck in a strange hallucinogenic haze. He had to get them out of there to regroup and come up with a plan of attack, as they were, they weren't mentally prepared to fight someone who could twist their minds to his will.

Taking a moment to center himself, the captain ignored the pain of his wounds, instead focusing on the feel of his mysterious opponent and reinforcing his mental defenses with Haki. As soon as he felt the man's true presence and pushed his influence out of his mind, he lunged forward, using his own devil fruit powers to put himself directly in front of him and send a powerful, Haki clad hit to his chest, standing back to watch as his opponent went flying into a large pile of debris, shock written all over his face.

Law quickly took the opportunity to turn back to his companions, happy to see that his single hit had somehow managed to loosen the man's hold on the others' minds, letting them come back to reality to fight off the crowd that had managed to reach Nami. The navigator, too, had escaped the mental prison the violet haired man had locked her in, and focused her own energy on pushing back the throng of people, ignoring new wounds she had managed to get when they had gotten too close.

The heart captain immediately darted towards them, surprising them as he encased the four in his Room and teleported them back to the docks, ushering them onto the waiting submarine as fast as he could while brushing off their offers of assistance as he clutched the puncture on his side. As the ship began pulling away, Law stood at the door, leaning against the frame as he caught sight of the wildly grinning man who was after Nami, standing tall at the beach, watching him as the sub began its descent.

Law could only frown in annoyance before turning to enter the hull, finding himself face to face with Nami's blank expression, obviously unsure on what to think or feel about the situation they were in. He let his eyes roam over her form, assessing the injuries she had received from the townspeople as they assaulted her while she was stuck in a delusional state of mind. Her hair was a tangled mess, a few bruises were blooming on her cheek and jaw, and a deep gash on her forehead was already clotting, though a small trickle of blood still flowed from it.

"Let's get you patched up," he said with a grunt as he moved to walk past her, still clutching his side as best he could with his injured arm.

Law was surprised, though, when the young woman grabbed hold of his good arm, tossing it around her shoulder so she could support him as they walked through the submarine's halls. He could only look at her with wide eyes as she moved her own arm around his waist, pulling him along with her, too shocked at her insistent aid to think about brushing it off. He couldn't see her face as she kept it turned down, her long hair falling to conceal it, but somehow he knew her expression held concern and fear.

"You need attention first," she mumbled quietly.

He nodded silently in agreement, not willing to argue when she was being uncharacteristically selfless. Seeing to his injuries before her own was not something she was known to do all too often, that level of care was normally reserved for her closest crew mates. Law was surprised even further when they reached his own room on the ship, Nami following him in after taking some medical supplies from his crew members who had been waiting for him to arrive. The majority of the men on his crew had some medical knowledge and experience, most fully capable of helping him tend his own injuries, so her aide wasn't necessary, and yet she still seemed adamant to do it.

"Alright, I need you to take off your jacket and shirt," she ordered, moving to help him remove the clothing so she could see his injuries. She forced him to sit on his bed, examining the two wounds he received in his fight, her fingers brushing lightly over his skin as she assessed the damage.

He already knew he needed stitches in both cuts, and was about to inform her of that and possibly get someone else to do the work, but before he could say anything; she quickly, and quite adeptly, set to work on closing the wounds herself. The doctor was yet again learning something new about the young woman, amazed as he watched her anesthetize, disinfect, and suture the gashes with more skill than he imagined her having.

"I didn't know you knew how to do this, Nami-ya," he said to the navigator, his eyes never leaving her as she moved from the wound on his side to the one on his arm, the woman moving to sit slightly behind him on his bed.

"Who do you think took care of all the injuries those idiots got before Chopper came along?" Nami grumbled distractedly, frowning in concentration as she finished placing the last suture in his shoulder and moved to grab some gauze to wrap him with. "Zoro alone gave me more than enough practice with sutures; idiot tried to cut off his own feet once."

Law could only chuckle in amusement, turning his head to the side to catch her eyes as she wrapped his shoulder.

"You don't have to do this, though, you know."

"Yes I do," she remarked quietly, her hands pausing for a moment in their work as she spoke, "you wouldn't be in this mess to begin with if it wasn't for me. It's the least I can do after all the trouble I've brought."

"Maybe not," he agreed, turning his body to face her once she had finished her bandaging, "but he made it clear that he would have been targeting me eventually, though I doubt he would have been able to after choosing to mess with your crew."

As Nami only frowned back at him, Law moved his hand to brush away some of her hair that had fallen in her face, exposing the untreated cut on her forehead. As his fingers brushed over the cut, his eyes snapped to hers to see her wince from the slight pressure. So, without another word, he quickly moved to grab the disinfectant and gauze to clean her up in return.

The young navigator had to avert her eyes from the captain, whose close proximity to her face was making her feel slightly uncomfortable. Over the past few days, spending so much time with the man, she had found herself becoming far more attached to the doctor than she cared to be, appreciating the care and companionship he had been giving her since first finding her. To make matters worse, the sight of him shirtless before her was bringing to her attention just how attractive the man was, his tan skin and dark hair coupled with serious blue eyes only served to send her heart racing in that moment.

The magnetic pull had started only two days before, when she had used her flirtatious charm to distract Law and steal Penguin and Shachi's camera from him. Nami, despite being in complete control of the situation, had found herself sorely tempted to go further than she needed to with the doctor, and she could tell he had been feeling something similar, if the hazy look in his eyes that night meant what she thought it did. She had forced herself to keep on track, though, and pull away before the man could close the distance between them. Once in her room, she had brushed off the feeling as the lingering excitement of the poker game combined with the drinks she had that night, allowing her to put the whole thing at the back of her mind to be forgotten.

Now, though; now she couldn't ignore those feelings, not when his expert hands were taping gauze to her clean wound. Not when she could feel his breath fanning over her face as he moved to examine the bruises forming on her cheek and jaw, his eyes searching for any signs of deeper damage. In that moment he was so close, his warm body standing before her, tempting her to reach out and touch him, but she continued to fight it, shutting her eyes tight to block out the sight before her.

"Does that hurt, Nami-ya?" Law asked softly, his hand now brushing over her bruised cheek as he tilted his head to try to look at her eyes, thinking her behavior could be due to some tenderness from the injured area.

"No; it's fine," she answered, still not looking at him as she shook her head, breathing a small sigh of relief as the motion forced him to remove his hand from her face.

Law couldn't help but frown at her still closed eyes, letting out an annoyed huff before placing his hands on either side of her on the bed and leaning down to put his face directly in front of hers.

"Nami-ya, if it doesn't hurt, then why are your eyes closed?"

His question, asked in such close proximity, succeeded in getting Nami to slowly pry open her eyes, the navigator squeaking in surprise when she found him only scant centimeters from her, forcing her to pull back a bit on the bed to try and regain some space for herself. She could feel herself blushing, her cheeks warming as she pulled away, one hand reaching up to push against his shoulder, keeping him from following.

By her oddly shy behavior and pink cheeks, Law immediately realized what was going through her mind, and couldn't help but enjoy the fact that he seemed to have an effect on her, that maybe his new found attraction to her wasn't one-sided. That thought, though, brought his own awareness to how close they were, his attention glued on the navigator's shining brown eyes that seemed to be pulling him in again. He could feel the hand on his shoulder tightening slightly before relaxing and sliding down his arm, the movement enticing him forward even more.

She was still backing away from him, but her foggy gaze beckoned him to follow, kneeling on the bed between her legs once she had run out of room to escape. They were both in an odd daze, unaware of anything but each other and the feel of their breath mingling together as Law dipped his head even closer to Nami's, their noses brushing as they both seemed ready to give in to whatever it was that was pulling them together.

"Captain!"

Bepo's call had Law jerking away just as the door flung open to reveal the panting bear, a DenDen Mushi and recorder held in his paw. The doctor chanced a glance at the woman, who seemed to still be lost in a haze as her fingers brushed over her lips. His lips had just barely grazed hers when his crew mate had interrupted, but the scant friction was just enough to set his own mind on wanting more, wishing he could finish what had just started between them.

Unfortunately what Bepo said next had Law and Nami far too distracted to think on the last few minutes any longer.

"We just got a call from the Straw Hats!"

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**I have to say, I'm horribly jealous of Nami at the moment.**

**Review please!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I almost didn't post this because I'm trying to stay at least 2 chapters ahead until the end, but my brain is too tired to write, atm, and I don't want to leave you all hanging. At least I'm still one chapter ahead, so I think I'll be alright- just don't want to delay anything. Anyway, you get a little bit more from the Straw Hats, and some mild Law x Nami interaction, not much, though. This is the big turning point for everything, the next chapter is when I start building into the major action/ final battle, plus upping the romantic tension bit by bit (I'm trying really hard to take it slow... but it's so hard. T.T ).**

**Lastly, my poll is still up on my profile page, so if you haven't had time to vote on whether or not you want a lemon, there's still a chance to get your voice heard (it probably won't be a big one- anyone familiar with my Fairy Tail writing should know what I'm capable of). Right now it looks like I'm not the only dirty minded person, lol, good to know. ^_^ Oh, and if anyone is interested in a LaNa lemon fic, I posted one to my livejournal acct (I'm debating whether I should post it here... it's not that bad, it's just... I'm nervous, I don't want to be the one to post the first LaNa lemon on here! :( ). Anyway, if you're interested I have the link to my lj acct on my profile page- it'll be the most recent entry entitled 'Hot Night.'  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda.**

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"Bzzz… This is Sanji… Bzzz… have an important message."

Law sat at the desk in his room, leaning against the surface as he listened to the recording Bepo had just brought him. A glance to the side let him see Nami as she stayed seated on his bed, her knees pulled up against her chest as she stared at her clasped fingers, nervously waiting to hear what her friend had to say.

"This is Penguin, go on," the Heart pirate's voice came from the speaker.

"Hello… Bzzz… can anyone hear me… Bzzz…" Sanji's voice called out again.

"He can't hear us…" Penguin could be heard mumbling next, some rustling and calls in the background telling them that he was trying to get a better signal, moving closer into their communicator's range

"If there's anyone there listening to this," Sanji continued with a sigh, his voice becoming a bit clearer as the interference seemed to fade slightly, "Bzzz… We ran into that man… Bzzzz… only Robin and myself were left unaffected… Bzzz… Brook had stayed aboard the Sunny… Bzzzz…. Luffy… Bzzz… well…"

Sanji's voice faded out as they heard rattling in the background, the sound of enraged shouting and crashes becoming clearer as the cook seemed to move to another room of their ship.

"NAMI!" Luffy's voice came crying through the snail communicator, causing Nami's head to snap up so she could stare wide eyed at the sound of her captain's yell. Law shared her expression, his mind flashing back to memories of the mental breakdown he witnessed his fellow captain have after his brother's death, oddly fearing for the young man's sanity as he understood how fragile his psyche truly was. "NAMI!... Bzzzz… DON'T HURT HER!... Bzzz… I'LL KILL YOU!... Bzzz… NAMI!"

Suddenly the sound faded again, only the rattling and interference returning as Sanji moved away from his angry, hallucinating captain before speaking again.

"The others have already come out of… whatever it was they saw…" the cook explained, interference taking over the silence of his thoughtful pause. "Robin-chan is with Franky, Chopper, and Usopp, trying to get some idea of what happened to them… Bzzz… Brook's with Luffy, trying to calm him down with his music… Bzzz… we had to use sea stone chains on him just to get on board the ship…. Bzzz… Zoro is… Bzzz… well, Zoro went up to his weight room…. Bzzz… but… he's just staring at his equipment, he won't talk to anyone."

As Sanji paused again, Law chanced another look at the navigator all of this seemed to be revolving around. The young woman was silently sobbing, obviously distraught to be hearing how much this mystery man was affecting her family.

"Bzzz… I don't know if you've run into him yet… Bzzz… but if you haven't…. Bzzzz… be on guard at all times…. Bzzzz… purple hair… Bzzzz… trenchcoat… Bzzz."

"Yep, that's the guy," Law mumbled, clenching his fists at the thought of his own run-in with this enemy.

"Law… Bzzz," Sanji suddenly stated, dragging the doctor's attention back to the recorder as he listened for the message the cook seemed to have for him. The pause this time was longer as he heard the tell-tale sound of Sanji lighting a cigarette and taking a slow, calming drag. "I trust that Nami-san is safe with you… Bzzz… Luffy trusts you, so I will, too… Bzzz… But if she comes back to us with so much as a hair out of place, I will kill you, you shitty captain."

Law couldn't help but chuckle at the overprotective man, not surprised to hear the threat coming from the blonde cook.

"Nami-san," Sanji continued, causing Nami to hum in curiosity while wiping at her teary eyes. Again the man paused to take another drag of his cigarette before speaking once more, "Nami-san, we will find you… Bzzz… Just stay strong as you always do… Bzzz… I swear we'll find you, even if it's the last thing I do… Bzzz... Bzzz... Bzzz."

With one last round of static interference, the message cut out, leaving the room in a deep silence as Nami and Law respectively took in the information they just received, both trying to process the latest events and decide on what to do next. The captain watched the girl sitting on his bed, her eyes blank as she lost herself to her thoughts. After only a few minutes she surprised him when she slowly lifted herself from the mattress, moving to walk out of the room in a daze while he and the large bear silently sitting there stared after her.

"I'm going to go take a bath," she informed them quietly after pausing to open the door, her face hidden by a curtain of orange hair, "I need some time alone to think."

Law nodded in understanding, even though she couldn't see him, turning his attention to his somber crew-mate once the door shut behind her.

"Were you able to get some idea of their position?" He asked the bear, watching a flash of nervousness cross his furry face as he thought on his answer.

"Yes, sort of," Bepo began, scratching his ear with a sharp claw as he sought to explain what they knew. "The interference made it hard to distinguish the exact position they were in, but, as far as we can tell, they're headed in the opposite direction we are."

"We can't keep up this chase like this," Law said with a sigh after a moment of silent thought. "We need to keep Nami-ya in one place so they have a chance of finding her, but at the same time we need to actively search them out."

The polar bear watched as his captain rested his chin on the palm of his hand, propping his head up as he stared forward in thought, obviously trying to form some sort of plan that would help everyone in this battle against such a mysterious opponent.

"We need to split up."

* * *

Nami sank down into the tub, submerging part of her face in the water as she stared at the metal wall in front of her. Her mind was a confused and muddled mess of thoughts and emotions after the day she just had. At that moment, though, the only thing she could think of was the state of her crew, her closest friends in the world. They were suffering so much, and all because of her.

Unexpectedly a mental image of Law flashed in her mind, the doctor who was currently harboring her, clutching his bleeding side as he got her and his crew to safety. The memory only served to remind her of the sacrifice these men were making for her, protecting her as if she were one of their own, just as her own crew would. Now they were forced to face down this demon man who seemed so determined to hunt her and her crew down, torture them into a slow and maddening death. They certainly shouldn't have to get themselves involved any more than they already had, even the lengths that they've gone to up until that point were far beyond anything she would have expected from the Heart Pirates in the past.

As for this man chasing after her and her crew, a part of her could understand this man's hatred of pirates; she herself had always held disdain for them, at least until she met Luffy and Zoro. Since her days with Arlong were over, she had come to know that not all pirates were as cruel as the Fishmen pirate captain; many were like Luffy, seeking adventure and freedom. The crew she was currently with wasn't much different in that respect, too, despite the reputation the Heart captain had earned for himself over the years.

In the end, she just couldn't fathom why her pursuer sought such cruel and relentless means to destroy them. She just hoped they would be able to defeat him in the end, prevent him from continuing his hunt and targeting other less deserving pirate crews.

With a deep sigh, Nami finished her bath, changing into the button down shirt Law had let her borrow days before, one that she had failed to give back, and made her way to her own room. As soon as she entered, though, she found herself frozen in the door at the sight of the calm doctor propped up in her bed, obviously waiting for her return. Even with her mind stuck on her crew and the man who was chasing her, she couldn't help but blush as she thought of what had been interrupted earlier.

Law, on the other hand, didn't outwardly seem to be bothered by any inappropriate thoughts, though he did find himself holding back his typical smug smirk at the sight of her in his shirt. The reason he was there in the first place, though, was because he had devised an admittedly crude plan to hopefully finish with this enemy as quickly as possible. It wasn't ideal, but the situation itself wasn't ideal, so he felt he had little other choice in the matter. He just hoped the woman would be willing to do it, despite the danger involved.

"We need to talk," he stated clearly, motioning for her to come sit with him so he could go over the plan he had in mind. Once she had seated herself opposite him on the bed, facing him as she leaned against the wall next to her bed, he allowed himself to continue. "I was thinking it would be for the best if we split the crew up."

"What! Why?" Nami asked; her eyes wide in shock at his sudden idea.

"We need to find your crew as fast as possible at this point, before this guy does anything more drastic than he has. I think if we split up, he'll focus his attention on you, especially if you're in one place where he can get to you relatively easily. With you in one place keeping him distracted, that will free the other group to find Mugiwara-ya and lead your crew to you."

The captain wasn't surprised when Nami remained silent, staring at him uncertainly as she tried to comprehend what he was thinking. With a sigh he decided it best to elaborate on the plan, hoping it would ease some of her obvious concern with it.

"I'll be with you, so I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe, the rest of my crew will take the time to search out your ship. According to Bepo, it looked as though your ship was heading in the opposite direction of us. In the amount of time it'll take to catch up to them, I'm quite certain your pursuer will attack them again, just as he did today. It'll be a cycle where he constantly has an edge over both crews, driving everyone mad with his illusions. If we can give Mugiwara-ya a chance to recover and prepare mentally for this enemy, then we might gain an advantage this man wasn't expecting."

"I just don't know…" the navigator quietly admitted, showing her fear of this enemy who seemed almost invisible to her, attacking her mind before attacking her body. At least if it was just a physical attacker, she could find a way to protect herself, she could run and hide, or better yet, her friends could defeat him with ease. This man attacked something she wasn't able to defend, could come into her mind even as she hid away. The strongest people she knew, fighters capable of using Haki to protect themselves from devil fruit powers, couldn't even guard themselves against this man.

As she was lost in thought, she didn't hear as Law pushed himself closer, sitting beside her while still facing her. She didn't even notice his presence as he leaned on one arm over her body, positioning his face in front of hers while using his free hand to brush over her arm.

"Do you trust me?" He calmly asked, shocking her as she finally registered his proximity and caught his confident gaze. As Nami only stared at him, obviously taken aback by his question and position, Law squeezed her arm in a reassuring manner before repeating his question. "Do you trust me, Nami-ya?"

To her own surprise, Nami knew she could trust him, after everything she had been through with him up until that point there was really no way she couldn't. While she may have had her suspicions when she had first met him on Punk Hazard, she knew him better now, knew that he had more honor than others gave him credit for. Her own captain knew it, that was why he so faithfully trusted his fellow captain throughout their alliance, and even now that she was in his care.

So with a small smile, she moved to place her hand over his, giving him an agreeing hum and nod while squeezing his hand. She forced herself to ignore the skip in her heart when he smugly grinned back at her while twisting his hand to squeeze hers in turn, the doctor pushing himself off the bed after a moment of quiet understanding, to leave the room for the night.

"We'll head for the island I found you on," he informed her once standing at the door, "we should reach it in about a day, so get some rest, you'll need it."

Nami nodded in agreement as she moved to do just as he said, watching as he softly shut the door behind him, and trying to convince herself she didn't want him to stay with her again.

Little did she know that Law stayed leaning against the opposite side of the door, fighting his own urge to go back in there and stay the night again. His growing attachment and attraction to her was bound to become troublesome at the rate it was going, it wouldn't do either of them any good if he gave in to it.

After releasing a deep sigh, the Heart captain pushed away from the door, cutting off any further thought on the woman for the night. All that mattered was getting her back to Luffy; nothing could get in the way of that, not even his own heart.

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**As always, review, please!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry about the long delay, this has been written for awhile, I've just had a very busy couple of weeks at work and haven't been able to find the energy to write more. I'm starting to regain my energy, so hopefully you won't have to deal with anymore delays... no promises, life does seem to enjoy getting in the way of writing.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda.**

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She stood on the dock, the waves churning around her, as she watched the yellow submarine pull away. Her refuge, her temporary home, the one place her hunter couldn't reach her; drifting off into the horizon before submerging into the dark blue depths of the Grand Line. After a few moments of staring at the now empty ocean, Nami finally turned to follow after the quiet captain who had already gone ahead of her, heading into the completely desolate town he had found her in only a few short weeks before.

At that moment he was her rock, her support; his calm, confident demeanor all she had to hold on to without her normal companions by her side. She was finding herself truly greatly to Law for the sacrifices he was making for her, as well as her crew. He had even gotten involved to the point that he had found himself injured, his wounds from the previous island still healing.

They were silent as they entered the town, Law leading the way as he shouldered a heavy pack with supplies and rations in the island's searing heat. Nami hadn't remembered any details from her short time on the island before the Heart Pirates had rescued her, luckily the crew had warned her of the extreme climate, but even then she could feel the full weight of the sun bearing down on her in the humidity, her shorts and bikini top already feeling sticky to her skin. Even Law had changed into a simple black tank top, his yellow jolly roger emblazoned on the front, and a pair of cargo shorts, looking just as at ease as he did in his normal hoodie and jeans.

She had no idea where they were headed, especially since the port town was supposed to be abandoned, but she figured Law had some idea of where he was headed, at least she hoped he did. The dirt roads running through the village had weeds blooming in them, years of disuse allowing the vegetation to take over once again. The same could be said for the buildings, many of which had collapsed, the few that still stood made of sandstone and brick, far more durable against the harsh environment, even if they, too, fell victim to the overgrowth of vines that snaked up their walls.

Once they had reached what appeared to be the center of the town, Nami found herself frozen in place, her eyes glued to a large, dry fountain decorating the plaza. She stared at the broken chains wrapped around a stone statue on the outer rim, and a dark brown stain that had set into the concrete below it. At the sight of where she must have been bound, her fear came back, the memories of her time in captivity returning to her after she had worked so hard to force them from her mind.

Her dark thoughts were broken, though, when she felt a firm hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention up to Law's frowning face, his expression actually showing a small trace of his concern for her as he pulled her away from the fountain. He guided her down a small path between sandstone buildings, his arm around her shoulders as they went, as if holding her back from running off in fear.

"Sorry you had to see that," he suddenly said after stopping in front of a building a few blocks from the fountain, "we weren't exactly worried about cleaning up the mess when we found you."

Nami just nodded, her eyes downcast, once again trying to push her memories back into the deep recesses of her mind. As she stood there centering herself, Law moved towards the building that they had come to, pushing against the door to find it unlocked. After a quick glance around, he went back to Nami, grabbing her wrist before leading her into the empty home and up the stairs to the bedrooms. Being at risk as they were, Law had already decided they'd stick together, especially since he was the young woman's only defense against her mysterious pursuers abilities, thus they would share a room while they waited for her crew to come.

Dropping their things in the center of the room, Law took the time to survey the space, leaving Nami to get as comfortable as she could. He had picked the house primarily because it was tucked away into the town, plus it was one of the few in decent shape he could see. It seemed the island had been abandoned very suddenly, as such the house still had its furniture in place, even if it was dusty and falling apart, it was still better than nothing. The room he had decided they'd take was a surprisingly large master bedroom, complete with a separate seating area that held a couch he'd most likely take for himself, giving the young Navigator the large bed tucked into a corner. There was even a balcony he could keep watch from, the view of the city being adequate enough that he might have a chance of spotting their enemy if he did in fact come for them.

After looking out over the town, Law turned to see Nami sitting on the couch, her face blank as she stared at her clasped hands, obviously feeling nervous about his plan leaving her so vulnerable. With a small sigh, he moved to sit in front of her on the coffee table, leaning his face down to catch her distant gaze.

"I don't want to see you moping around here while we wait," he said, giving into the urge to pinch her check, which quickly gained her attention as she looked up at him in shock. "We have some time to kill, might as well find something to entertain us until someone else shows up."

"He's not here yet?" Nami asked in confusion, swatting the captain's hand away so she could speak.

Law shook his head slightly before answering, glancing out the open balcony door as he spoke, "I've been using 'Observation' since we landed; I haven't sensed anyone else on this island yet."

"Well, I guess that's good, at least for now."

The dark doctor grunted in turn, lifting himself up from the coffee table so he could sift through their things, pulling out a box he had tucked away as a last thought before they left. As he came back to the table, he couldn't help by grin smugly at Nami's confused expression, her eyes examining the box in his hands as he set it down to open it and reveal the chess set hidden inside.

"I told you, we have some time to kill, might as well do something with it," he explained, his smile widening when Nami let out a small laugh before settling onto the floor across from him so she could help set it up.

The pair played until darkness descended, when they were forced to light candles to just barely see by. It was then that they decided to have one of the small meals they had packed away, taking seats on the couch as they ate.

"How long do you think we'll have to be here?" Nami suddenly asked, mindlessly picking at her food as she spoke.

Law only shrugged next to her, sparing a glance in her direction before turning his body to recline on the couch and face her as he spoke.

"It could be a few days, it could be a whole week," he answered honestly, "it depends on how quickly my men find your crew. As long as this mystery man focuses on you, your crew should be able to get here quickly enough."

The orange haired navigator nodded somberly, leaning back to frown up at the ceiling in thought, obviously not very happy with his answer, as reasonable and honest as it was. The doctor didn't want her to think on their situation too hard, knowing it would only cause her unneeded stress, which was likely to take a toll on her already unpredictable temper, so he felt it best to change to a lighter topic. Reaching out with his foot, Law nudged the young woman in the side, turning her attention back to him as she glared and swatted at the foot pushing against her.

"Tell me about what you did during those two years you weren't with Mugiwara-ya," he prompted with a grin, giving her one more push for good measure before pulling his leg back in.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she answered, smiling widely as she took advantage of him changing the topic.

"Try me."

"I was on a sky island," she explained, pointing up to the ceiling to emphasize her statement, "studying the New World's weather with the scientists on Weatheria."

"A sky island?" Law asked, grinning in amusement as she nodded, "I had heard some rumors of their existence; never thought I'd hear from someone who had been to one."

"It's actually the second one I've been to; the first time around was to Skypeia with most of the other Straw Hats," Nami went on, detailing her time on both islands to the captain, her excitement carrying over to him as she spoke.

"Interesting," he said, "you certainly found yourself in the best place to train and improve yourself."

"We all did, really, but it made the two years away worth it in the long run," Nami said with another nod before stretching herself out on the couch, smiling innocently at Law's frown as she rested her feet in his lap.

Her smile melted with a shriek as the doctor quickly grabbed a foot, sending her a deadly smirk before tickling the sole. Nami tried to pull away before he got any more ideas, but found herself stuck as he continued to torture her. At the back of her mind she realized how odd it was to be laughing considering where they were and what they faced, but she still took full advantage of the reprieve from her ever-present anxiety.

In a vain attempt to fight back, the navigator used her free foot to poke at the man's side, hoping to prod at a ticklish spot, thankful that his uninjured side was closest to her. Unfortunately it didn't matter as he quickly latched onto that foot, too, and began tickling at both appendages as best he could. Nami could only continue to laugh as she pulled her feet back and forth, trying desperately to escape.

Somehow, though, her attempts at freedom ended up pulling the doctor closer to her before he lost his balance and fell atop her. Her laughter died quickly as she helped stop his fall, her hands going to his chest to hold him up even as his arms landed on either side of her head to do the same. They both stayed there staring at each other in shock for a few silent moments; their eyes locked, their faces only scant centimeters apart, and their breath mingling as the magnetic pull they had both been feeling for days resurfaced once more.

Just as Law felt himself leaning in closer, he clenched his hands into fists before pushing himself up and off the still stunned woman. He turned his head away from her to look out the open balcony door before speaking, his jaw clenched as he pushed out the unwanted emotions and urges running through him.

"You should get some sleep while you can," he quietly remarked, just barely registering when Nami pushed herself back against the opposite armrest, putting much needed distance between them, "he's still not here, at least as far as I can sense, so you should be fine for now."

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine; I'm a light enough sleeper, so I can doze off for a bit before going on watch."

Nami just nodded, letting out a sigh as she picked herself up from the couch and moved to take out her nightshirt to sleep in. After quickly changing in the bathroom, the navigator moved to settle into the large bed, noticing as she did so that the captain had moved to stand on the balcony, leaning his tall frame onto the railing as he stared out into the peaceful night.

"Good night," she called out.

"Night," he grunted back, his attention still fixed on the dark town.

Law listened as the woman sank into her bed, the covers rustling as she got comfortable before stilling again as she began to let sleep take her. Even as he told himself to keep his distance, maintain a professional, almost cold, relationship with the woman, he still found his mind wandering to the times he had found himself drawn to her. In that very moment he was holding himself back from following her into bed, the brief glimpse he had just gotten of her in the button down shirt she still hadn't returned to him, had him biting his cheek to keep his rather unclean thoughts out of his head.

He honestly didn't know how long he was going to be able to hold out against a natural seductress, a woman who was pulling him in without even trying. All he knew was that the next few days, or however long they had on that island, were going to be the longest few days of his life.

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**Thanks to all my reviewers so far! You're all the best!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Alright, so a mild warning for this chapter- you get to see more of how incredibly sick and twisted the bad guy is (who yes, will have a name in the end, and a back story), and it's not pretty. I actually had a hard time writing part of this because I didn't want to be too detailed, especially since it's just a peek at the guy's madness and how much he enjoys torturing his victims... it will get worse from here, but this should give you a hint as to why I rated this 'M' (with or without the lemon- which the poll is still up in my profile, so if you haven't had a chance to vote, you still have some time). I do try to balance this part out with some shameless fluff, and bit of humor... but I think the fluff is the best, lol.**

**And at one point I really wanted to take advantage of Nami calling Law "Tora-o" (or Traffy depending on translation) in the last chapter, but I couldn't get it to feel right, especially since I prefer Tora-o over Traffy, but I used Traffy earlier with how Luffy referred to him. Oh well. :/  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda.**

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A lone boat sat at a figurative crossroad in the middle of the Grand Line's open ocean, a figure standing on its small deck staring out at the vast seas, violet hair blowing in the wind concealing his scarred face and dark eyes.

"So that's the way you want to play it, Shichibukai," he mumbled before chuckling darkly to himself, "well then I mustn't disappoint."

Turning on his heel he moved to change course, steering his ship to a deserted island he knew very well, an island that had been his greatest nightmare, an island that he used to bring horrid visions to so many others. He would take great joy in torturing the beautiful Straw-Hat navigator once more, this time even better with a seemingly smitten pirate captain around to prod at.

He could sense the Heart Pirate submarine making its way through the ocean in search of their allies, his Haki's range strengthened by his devil fruit abilities; giving him a keener sense of awareness of what was happening with his chosen targets. Even if the ocean restricted him, he could still use his powers to bolster his Observation Haki, though he certainly wished he could do more. He could see inside the minds of his victims, see their fears, their desires, and lay waste to them all without batting an eye most of the time, but that natural barrier the ocean provided prevented him from doing so in this case.

"This is going to be so much fun!" his maniacal voice suddenly called out to the clear skies, his head tilting backward as he let out his wild laughter, the maddening sound echoing all around him.

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The early morning sun shining into the room drew Law from his restless sleep, his head turning to glare out the balcony door at the offending light that woke him. The entire night he had laid awake, staring at the ceiling as a mess of thoughts ran through his mind, most centering around the peacefully sleeping navigator only a few feet away.

Rubbing at his eyes to clear the drowsiness from them, the pirate captain pushed himself up from the couch, resigning himself to a day with no sleep. Stealing a glance at the mess of long orange hair concealing the woman's face as she slept on, he knew that as long as he could keep her safe everything would turn out fine; at least that was what he was telling himself.

Law stood and moved to the balcony, stretching his stiff limbs as he walked out into the sun, using his Haki to sense if their pursuer was nearby. After a few minutes of searching, he found nothing, giving him slight relief since he had wished to explore the town a bit, get a feel for the area so there wouldn't be any surprises while they were there. With that in mind, he realized there wasn't any better time than the present. Moving to grab his nodachi, he looked over at Nami again. He didn't want to wake her, at least not yet, plus he felt he needed some time away from her, hoping to lessen the temptation she was unknowingly giving him.

And so, he left, walking out the door and out into the empty town. With once last glance over his shoulder at the open balcony door, he forced out all unwanted thoughts, turning back to the dusty streets with a clear and focused mind.

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Nami frowned at the empty room before her, her eyes boring into the couch her supposed bodyguard had claimed for himself the previous night. She was sitting up in bed, leaning over her crossed legs as she examined her surroundings. The couch, the balcony, the bathroom; all were unoccupied by a man who had promised to keep her safe. As she growled under her breath, she climbed out of bed and headed for the open balcony doors, hoping to catch a glimpse of him roaming the streets.

With him and his weapon gone, she quickly figured out that he had gone to survey the territory they were in, and while she certainly liked the thought he had, she was still unhappy with being left behind. She knew he hadn't completely abandoned her there, at least she hoped not, but she still felt anxious about being alone when a sick man was after her. As her gaze swept over the abandoned town, she scrutinized every alleyway, every building, every nook and cranny she could see from her position. In the end she couldn't find him, and so she was left to wait for him to return.

"Bastard," she cursed under her breath before stomping back into the room, grabbing her Climatact on the way to the bathroom. Slamming the door behind her, she figured she'd take the opportunity to cool down with a shower provided by her staff; she'd deal with Law when he got back.

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Near midday Law had finished searching through the town, not finding anything noteworthy in the immediate area. The only thing he could gather from the island was where Nami had been kept while their pursuer tortured her, finding a rundown warehouse a few blocks from where he had found her, a trail of her dried blood leading the way.

The place had looked ordinary from the outside, but as soon as he stepped in he found it hard to believe Nami could have survived the ordeal, blood practically coating the floor and walls around a caged in area. As he delved further into the main room he found numerous crude instruments the man must have found or made that would inflict the maximum amount of pain possible, but without killing his victims. With a careful eye he examined everything, piecing together what he could before he couldn't take the gruesome sight any longer, forcing him to leave before he lost his senses.

One thing seemed painfully clear to him, the man they were facing was far more sadistic than he ever imagined, and literally got off on what he did to those he hunted. It was enough to make even him want to throw up, more disgusted by the man than he had ever been in his life. The only thing that gave him a small sense of relief was the fact that he knew Nami hadn't been violated during her torture, her body having shown no signs of it when he examined her before surgery.

Law came to a halt outside of his temporary home, staring up at the balcony deep in thought over the navigator again. After everything he had just seen, he could only imagine the fear and anxiety coursing through her, brought back to an island where she had faced a great deal of physical and psychological pain from this man. He hoped she hadn't woken while he was gone, he knew his absence would most likely stress her fragile state of mind, increasing her anxiety beyond what he imagined she could handle.

Taking a deep breath to prepare himself for the worst, the dark doctor jumped up to the balcony railing, ready to face the terrified navigator.

"Law!" Nami's voice screamed out at him before the shocked man found a heavy book colliding with his face; sending him back to the ground below.

He could only stare up at the balcony in shock, his wide eyes blinking rapidly as he tried to figure out what happened, watching intently as the very angry woman came stomping out to lean over the railing and shout at him.

"Where the hell did you go!? I've been worried sick, you idiot! Don't just leave like that without giving me some warning, at the least leave me a note! Or better yet, take me with you!" She hollered down at him, moving away from the edge as she crossed her arms and walked back into the room with a huff, apparently done with her irate lecture for the moment.

Law sighed, oddly relieved that she had reacted the way she did; he could handle her when she was just angry, that was at least normal for her. He didn't know what to do if she were wallowing in her anxiety and despair.

As he jumped back up onto the balcony, he found the young woman pacing the room, obviously still irritated with him, but he suspected some of that was fed by her fear. The doctor slowly entered the bedroom, taking his time setting down his sword before moving to block Nami's relentless movement, holding her in place by her arms as he sent her a hard stare.

"He's not here yet," he began with, the simple statement relaxing her a bit as she let out a relieved breath, "I didn't want to wake you when I left, and didn't feel a need to, anyway."

Nami nodded in understanding, though she was still obviously annoyed with him, but for the time being she'd drop it since nothing happened. The pirate captain then moved away from her, collapsing onto the couch as the midday heat seemed to exacerbate his sleep deprived state. As he let his head fall back, his eyes caught the girl's worried stare, her frown deepening as she assessed his condition.

"Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Maybe an hour or two," he answered with a shrug, his eyes sliding shut for a moment, though his senses were completely tuned onto her as he listened to her sit next to him. He didn't know what she was thinking in that moment, but she wasn't moving, at least not yet.

Law peeked open an eye to catch her steady, contemplative gaze again, her face surprisingly close to his as she leaned against the back of the couch, her head propped up by her arm. He could tell she had just taken a shower, her hair still slightly damp, and her rich mikan scent more prominent, the fruity smell oddly calming right then. His eye closing again as he let himself relax more, feeling far more comfortable on that couch than he had the night before.

After another minute of silence, he was surprised by the feel of a soft hand running through the hair on the back of his head, nails lightly scratching into his scalp. He let out a groan at the feeling, he wasn't entirely sure if it was from pleasure or annoyance, a part of him wanting her to stop before he did something they'd both regret.

"He's still not here?" Nami's voice suddenly broke into his haze, quiet as she practically whispered into his ear.

"No, you're still safe," he grunted in reply, his blue eyes opening slightly as he turned his head to face her.

Her head was leaning against her shoulder now, even closer than she was before, while her arm had reached around the back of the couch so her hand could play in his hair.

"You should take this chance to rest then," she told him, her hand working up under his hat until she took it off completely, tossing it away before going back to her relaxing ministrations, "I'll wake you if anything happens."

"Why are you doing this?" Law randomly asked, his head leaning into her hand to emphasize that he was taking about her behavior and concern.

"The last thing I need is for that man to get to me because you're too exhausted to fight properly. Plus you're still injured, so you need the rest even more so you can heal."

The doctor chuckled slightly at her reasoning; he could tell that wasn't it, though, by the blush on her cheeks, her eyes turning away in the hope of hiding her real thoughts.

"Alright then," he answered instead, his eyes shutting one last time as her caresses soothed him.

He smirked slightly when he felt Nami lean her head against his shoulder, her forehead pressed against his jaw as she seemed to take advantage of the position they were in. He didn't try to push her away; he couldn't find the energy at that point to do so, even if he wanted to. He just let the scent of mikans and the feel of her hand in his hair lull him into a light sleep, which unfortunately didn't last long enough.

Maniacal laughter rang through his mind, his eyes snapping open in a second as he sat up, his mind fully alert once more. As he stared out the balcony doors, eyes narrowed in concentration, he felt Nami sit up drowsily next to him, her eyes looking to him in confusion. He didn't turn to look at her, even as she leaned her body against his, her face just barely coming into his peripheral vision as she continued to watch him. By the feel of her hand slipping into his, though, Law could tell that she was already prepared for what he was about to say.

"He's here."

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**And so the fun begins!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm so sorry this is so late! I really intended to have this out earlier this week but couldn't seem to focus long enough on it. I even planned on having this chapter be longer, but with how dark my plot is going to be turning, I didn't want to overwhelm everyone with it right away. The good news is that I already know how I want the next chapter to go (warning- it's going to be very dark), so hopefully it'll be out much sooner so you don't have to wait as long.**

**Also, a note on Law's abilities- seeing as he seems capable of doing whatever the hell he wants with his devil fruit powers, I'm taking some liberties with how much he can do when it comes to combining his abilities with his Haki- kinda like Luffy does. I think what I did is fairly reasonable all things considered. Anyway, please enjoy, and a big thank you to all by reviewers and newest followers!  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Oda Eiichiro.**

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As he stood on the empty docks, he looked out of the abandoned port town he considered home, his eyes sweeping over the dust and decay as brutal memories assaulted him. His wide manic grin spread over his face as he reveled in all that he'd brought here since his youth, returning that brutality a hundredfold. With a confident aura he swept back his already sweat soaked purple locks, tying them in a small pony tail at the base of his head for some relief from the heat, only a few short strands were left to blow over his face, leaving his jagged scar and dark gray eyes plainly visible.

He couldn't help but chuckle as he felt the presence of the Heart crew's captain, and Straw Hat navigator, tucked safely away a few miles into the town. He knew Law had felt him arrive, anxiety radiating from the pair as they waited for whatever he might have planned. Of course, Nami was far more anxious, though he was disappointed that it was dampened from what it had been when he had taken her. He suspected the other man's presence helped bring her some form of comfort, and he couldn't wait to rip away that one source of stability for her.

His smile never wavering, he moved into the town, his aim different as he decided to let them wait a bit longer for him. He had so much to prepare for the other crews' inevitable arrival, and he knew that sometimes the worst torture came from waiting. He was going to take his time with these victims, pick them apart, piece by piece, until there was nothing left for the Straw Hat captain to find.

Not only would Monkey D. Luffy lose his most precious and prized navigator in the end, but he'd lose a strong and trusted ally, too. From that point on, he'd make sure there was nothing left of them.

Disappearing into the town's wreckage, his laughter rang out through the buildings, blanketing the region, and anyone within, with his madness.

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He could feel her hand gripping his tightly, even as he stood to walk to the balcony, his senses searching for their enemy in the abandoned city. He didn't let go, instead he just held onto her, giving her his silent support in the hopes that it would keep her somewhat calm. When maniacal laughter echoed around them once more, he heard Nami let out a gasp before she wrapped herself around his arm, her nails biting into his shoulder as she buried her face against him.

Law let his attention turn completely to the young woman again, frowning as he saw her eyes shut tight, her body shaking with barely restrained fear; he could hardly imagine what torture she was expecting now that the madman was on the island. With a deep sigh, the dark doctor moved to wrap his other arm around her, turning to pull her against his chest in an attempt to offer some comfort in her fragile state. Her one hand stayed firmly locked in his, his grip tightening around it as her other hand released his arm in favor of grasping the shirt cover his chest.

"He moved away from us, Nami-ya," he spoke quietly, the arm around her back holding her closer as she relaxed slightly at his words, his head moving to rest on hers as he continued to wait for her to calm further. "He seems to be planning something; he probably wants to torture us with the wait."

Law felt Nami nod against him in understanding, a small sigh escaping her lips as she realized that it at least meant she had a little bit of time before he struck again, though she was, of course, still anxious with her expectations of what was to come. They stood in silence for a few moments more, the dark doctor patiently waiting for the woman to pull away, his cheek leaning comfortably against her hair as he kept her held tight to him. Nami's hand eventually loosened its grip on his shirt, trailing slowly down his side before she took a deep breath and backed away from him, but kept her other hand laced firmly with his as she stared up at him with a small spark of determination in her eyes.

"Thank you," she said with a nod, squeezing his hand in emphasis before pulling away completely.

Law just stared at her after returning her nod, his arms hanging limply at his sides once she moved to look out over the town, turning her back on him in the process. He stoically snuffed the foreign urge to wrap his arms around her again, taking on a relaxed stance as he took to leaning against the door frame to watch her.

"Do you have any sort of plan now that he's here?" Nami suddenly asked, her eyes drifting to him slightly as she waited for her answer.

"More or less," he said with a shrug, his eyes boring into her as he waited for her reaction.

As he expected, she huffed in annoyance before turning to lean back against the railing, her arms crossing over her chest as she glared at him and his laid back attitude.

"I'll admit, what I have in mind is a little rough around the edges," he elaborated with a slight smirk, "but if I'm right about how this man's devil fruit power works, then it should be fine."

Nami's response was to only raise an eyebrow, no words coming from her as she waited for him to continue, but Law didn't say anything else, just closed his eyes and concentrated while his Room became activated by his left hand. The navigator could only watch as the normally blue bubble expanded around them with a deep gray color, signaling to her that it was obviously very different from his normal devil fruit ability. When the captain opened his eyes again, his smug smirk grew at her confused and curious expression, her eyes taking in the space around them as she tried to figure out what he was getting at.

"Like your captain, I can infuse my devil fruit powers with my Haki," he began, turning on his heel to head back into the bedroom that was also encased in his Room, "it takes more concentration to do, but the barrier should act to hinder other devil fruit powers from entering this area. As long as I can keep this up, we should be safe from any of his mental torture, but the second it drops, he'll more than likely be poised to attack."

"How long do you think you can maintain it?"

"Hard to say," Law shrugged, taking a seat on the couch again so he could watch as Nami followed him back into the room, the woman choosing to stay standing on the other side of the coffee table from him. "I'd say about 6 hours, maybe through the night… as long as I stay awake and concentrating on this, that is."

Nami frowned as she realized that the man she was depending on to protect was going to have a tough time considering how exhausted he had seemed not too long ago. She couldn't help but feel a nagging worry deep in her chest for him, as well as for herself.

"And when you can't hold it up any longer?"

"…" Law paused momentarily to eye the woman before letting his head fall back against the couch and answering, "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, Nami-ya."

Nami huffed in annoyance at his nonchalance again, but stopped herself from saying anything as she examined him closer. He was obviously focusing as much energy as he could on this temporary defense, giving himself extra time to come up with another strategy, and her a chance to be safe for a little while longer. His fists were clenching at his sides, the only outward show of frustration on his otherwise calm features, the stress making her turn her gaze away and focus on something else. Her eyes landed on the chess set the captain had brought for them, giving her an idea that she hoped would help them both stay calm for the next few hours.

Law was surprised as he found himself staring at a black chess piece, the king figure dangling over his face as he stared up at the ceiling. He snapped his confused eyes to the smiling woman as she waved the piece back and forth, her tongue sticking out at him as she teased him slightly while standing over his sprawled out form.

"How about a quick game, then, since there's nothing better to do?" She explained as she drew her hand back again, holding the figure at her side as she cocked a hip while waiting for his answer.

He couldn't help it as a small part of his mind idly thought that there was something better to do, his eyes trailing over her form as she stood over him, but it was suppressed quickly as he leaned forward with a smug grin on his face. Snatching the chess piece from the navigator, he waved her away so he could move to the chess set on the table, replacing the king as she settled onto the floor opposite him. Law let out a slight chuckle as he realized she was actually trying to distract them from their looming enemy, just as he had done for her the day before.

"I hope you're ready to lose again."

* * *

He laughed deeply as he watched the dark grey dome form over his prey's location, the Haki infused ability surprisingly effective in cutting off his ability to reach their minds. But it was only a matter of time before he broke through and laid waste to their thoughts, he had a very special plan for the young woman in particular once he was finished preparing.

His hand pushed back a few of his stray violet hairs as he dug through his dilapidated storage shed outside of town, searching for his favorite trinket to torture with. He kept it hidden away where no one would think to look should any thieves or pirate scavengers come to pillage whatever remained of the town, only bringing it out on rare occasions. As his dark eyes caught the glint of the polished metal, his grin bloomed over his face in excitement. It had been some time since he had used the heirloom blade, no prey having provoked his interest enough to be deemed worthy of the rich ceremonial weapon.

The sound of the metal scrapping as he drew the sharp dagger from its jewel encrusted sheath heightened the thrill he felt as he imagined slicing the blade through beautiful porcelain skin, staining the metal with the Straw Hat navigator's crimson blood. He was only slightly disappointed that he'd have to wait before he could use it, because the moment that dagger entered her flesh, the game would be over, and he'd be the victor. Before that, though, he wanted to relish in the mental and emotional torture he would inflict on the two pirates; break their spirits far more than he had with any others in the past.

Just a few more hours, and the real game would begin.

* * *

**Review please!**

**Oh, and to those asking me to do more Law x Nami stories- I don't have any planned right now, and actually I've been wanting to write another ZoNa story, but don't worry, Law's too sexy to ignore so I'm sure he'll keep giving me more plot ideas for him and Nami.  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**This chapter was incredibly difficult to write, I knew what I wanted to have happen, and how it would go, but the content was something I've never written, so I was pretty far out of my comfort zone on this one. I'll warn everyone now- this is the darkest chapter of the entire fic, there is torture, and an implied attempted sexual assault. I was not graphic in the assault, but it's certainly very much implied, so if anyone is uncomfortable with this subject (something I can completely understand) then I'll have an extra warning before the section containing it (there will be an initial warning at the section containing initial torture, too). I will also mark the end of it, so for those who skip it, you can read the end of the chapter.**

**On a happy note- I'm sure you all will like the end of the chapter. XD  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Oda Eiichiro.**

* * *

He waited as the sun set on the empty island, the bright rays turning the sky crimson as they skipped across the atmosphere. He was rather surprised that the pirate captain had held his Haki barrier as long as he had, the grey dome covering his prey for just nearly eight hours at that point, but he knew it couldn't last much longer. Every power and ability had limits to their use, training only pushing the limits further, not eliminating them completely. Even now he mused that Law must have gone far past his normal limits, the other man obviously intent on protecting his female ward.

Reflexively pushing back his long purple bangs, the mad hunter let his wide Cheshire grin cross his face, his eyes intently watching the dome for any signs of falling. He was ready to give them a taste of what he had planned for them, just a small prelude to the main event. Tonight he would begin the process of tearing their minds apart, reveling in the carnage of their very psyches with his relentless torment.

Yes, it was only a matter of time, and his fun would begin.

* * *

Law watched the sun setting outside the balcony doors, an unsettling feeling overcoming him as he felt his energy draining away. He had certainly held out his defenses far longer than he had thought possible, but he was definitely beginning to feel the effects of using his devil fruit powers and Haki for so long on very little sleep. The navigator he had been charged to protect had somehow nodded off after hours of playing chess, laying her head on the coffee table as she kept her seat on the floor. The doctor had moved to sit on the couch, his eyes taking in her peaceful face for some time before they moved to watch the changing colors in the sky.

As the reds melted into pinks and violets, his eyelids began to grow heavy, shutting for a moment until the sound of Nami's restless moan broke into his thoughts. Once more he was alert, reinforcing his defenses that he had felt waver in that second, his eyes on the orange-haired beauty as she once more relaxed. Blinking away his foggy vision, Law forced himself up from the couch again, moving around the coffee table to collect the young woman and carry her to bed, his exhausted state weakening him to the foreign feelings he couldn't be rid of.

With far more gentleness he had ever thought possible for himself, he laid the woman down, taking a seat on the bed next to her as he idly ran a tattooed hand through her long hair. As he continued to stare at her, drowsy and weak, he couldn't help but snort at his odd behavior, vaguely wondering when he had softened so much to her. When she burrowed against his side, a content smile on her face as her hand twisted into his shirt, he realized it didn't really matter. He was hooked on her, and he couldn't care less what that was doing to him. He would protect her as if she were truly his; his to care for, his to keep.

As his eyes grew heavy once more, falling shut for the last time, his thoughts were filled with bright sun-kissed locks, and large amber eyes.

* * *

~Warning 1~

* * *

Nami awoke to the feeling of cold metal running along her flesh, her eyes snapping open in shock to come face to face with a Cheshire grin. Her breath caught as she held back her scream, the dark sadistic look on his face bringing flashes of memory back to her, rekindling the fear and hopelessness she had worked so hard to rid herself of.

She could see the large, grime stained windows surrounding the upper level of a broken down warehouse. The sounds of chains rattling from the ceiling above her sent a chill down her spine. It was dark, only slivers of dim light streaking here and there, making the scene even bleaker than it already was.

He was hovering over her, straddling her body as it was restrained on a cold metal table, her arms chained above her head, and legs tied down at the other end. On instinct she tried to struggle, to buck him off of her before he could do anything more, but the sharp bite of a blade in her side froze her in place, drawing her eyes down to see a row of large razors fused to the table at her waist. They were positioned perfectly to keep her from fighting back, unless she didn't care about tearing up her flesh with her own movements.

A deep chuckle had her eyes back on her captor, the man leaning his face down to whisper in her ear, his harsh breath just as painful as the plain dagger he ran across her cheek.

"Nami, Nami, Nami," he spoke, "Why won't you scream for me?"

When he pulled back slightly to get her answer, she dug down for every ounce of courage she had, and spit in his face. Her face set in a glare as he smiled down at her, lazily moving to wipe away the offense as if it were nothing, before he had the knife to her throat in a quick movement, not missing a beat as he let it slice through her soft skin, drawing a few beads of blood to the surface as he went.

"Breaking you again is going to be so much fun, Nami," he laughed, leaning down once again to run his tongue along her wound, chuckling to himself when she tensed up, a growl released from her throat as she tried to push away.

All it took was a flick of his wrist, and the dagger in his hands was slammed deep into her shoulder, cutting off her vain attempts at escape as she finally screamed in pain. His maniacal laughter erupted then, his hand twisting the blade slowly so her scream broke into a strangled sob, tears running down her cheeks as she shut her eyes tight to block out the sight of his twisted smile.

"Why… Why are you doing this to me?" Nami forced out in a strained whisper, her eyes peeking open to look up at the madman holding her captive.

"Simple; because I can," he answered, "because you're a filthy pirate, and a filthy pirate who knows very well the cruelty you bring to this world. Don't you, Nami?"

She clenched her jaw and refused to answer, it didn't matter anyway, he already knew, she could see it in the glint of amusement in his eye.

"You may think you're different, but you're not" he continued, his hand going to cup her chin and slowly turn her head to the side, his mouth once more at her ear as he whispered, "in the end you'll all die just like the rest, and I'll see to it you get the punishment you deserve."

Nami's eyes were wide with shock then, not because of what he said, but because of what he had turned her to see. Piled unceremoniously against the wall was her crew, her best friends, her family. She could barely identify them, their bodies seemingly carved up with a sickening care. Their faces were twisted into various expressions of pain and fear at their death. The one face, though, that stood out, the one that had her sobs renewed, was that of her captain, the innocent, childish man laying atop everyone, his arms spread over them as if he were embracing them, protecting them.

"I made sure to save you two for last," the madman continued, chuckling as he twisted her head the other way, letting her see Law bound to a chair next to her, the other captain unconscious, his own crew laying torn apart behind him. As her eyes swept over the sleeping man's face, Nami remembered where they had been, where they must be, and she knew she couldn't be weak. She knew she had to have the resolve to fight back, if not for herself, then for the man who was sacrificing so much to protect her when he had no reason to.

"No, this is just a fantasy," she whispered to herself, her eyes shutting tight once more as she tried to will away what she knew was his influence, "this is just one of your illusions, I won't believe any of this."

Again the man above her chuckled, wrenching the blade free of her shoulder as he did, pulling another pained cry from the navigator.

"It may only be an illusion now, but it's still so very painful," he taunted before slamming his dagger into her side, his mad laughter echoing as she coughed up blood, holding back her scream so as not to give him the pleasure of hearing it. "Soon, Nami, soon your reality will be far bleaker than this cruel fantasy I'm giving you. So please enjoy it while it lasts."

With another twist of his blade her screams broke free.

* * *

~Warning 2~

* * *

He awoke to the worst sound possible, the high pitched screaming cutting deeper than anything in that moment, clearing out all the fog from his sleep as his head snapped up to see Nami tied to a table in front of him. Law's eyes were wide in shock, his arms struggling to get free of the sea stone chains wrapping around him, desperate to rip the sick bastard away from the girl before she was torn apart beyond recognition. He could see at least two gaping wounds on her, one in her shoulder, the other in her side, just below her rib cage, other than those she was slowly being covered with small cuts as the madman appeared to be slicing into her skin with care, the movements slow as if he were simply caressing the woman lovingly.

"Ahhh, someone's awake," he heard the man say, smirking as he glanced to the pirate captain in the chair. "I hope you slept well, I need you to stay awake for the rest of this."

Law growled aloud as he watched their captor run his blade over Nami's skin, this time pressing a little harder as he sliced down the middle of her sternum, stopping the blade between her breasts as he stared down at the woman with a far more dangerous light in his eyes.

"Tell me, how much do you know of the pain she's faced in her life?" The violet haired man asked suddenly, his eyes never leaving the girl beneath him as he watched the pain flashing across her face. "She hasn't told you everything about her past. It's so beautiful, so similar to my own, and yet, here she is, living as what she claimed to hate most, a disgusting pirate wench, the scum of this world. So sick to think she'd fall into that pit, rather than rise up and fight back like I did."

While the pirate captain knew a few details about the woman's past, it wasn't a lot, only that she had been with the Arlong Pirates before Luffy came along to save her. He knew Arlong had taken her into his ranks because of her skilled cartography. He could assume that her history wasn't the best, the scar on her arm telling him the disdain Nami held for her former captain. But that was all he knew, that was all he could guess from the few scant hints she had given him during the few weeks she had been in his care.

"Should I show him?" The madman asked Nami, the knife digging into her chest further preventing her from giving any cohesive answer.

Even without her answer, Law found himself assaulted with mental images, what he could only guess were Nami's memories. He knew the man had an ability that allowed him within a person's mind, allowing him to twist it and mold it however he saw fit, but he never imagined he'd be able to see within it so keenly. The first thing he was shown was a small orange-haired girl smiling brightly at an older woman, showing off her first map to who he figured was her mother.

"Wasn't she a cute kid?" Their captor's sadistic voice broke into the imagery, along with a sob from the woman restrained beneath him as he cut her again on her cheek, bringing Law back to the present to watch as the madman leaned down to trail his tongue over the wound. The sight was enough in have the captain pulling at his restraints again, the sea stone only serving to leave him weak, his body falling limp as another image overtook his mind.

He saw Arlong landing in a peaceful village, wreaking havoc and demanding that the citizens of the island pay for their very lives. Immediately after the flash of Nami's memory he was brought back again, just in time to watch as the captor sliced down the woman's stomach, stopping at the top of her shorts to send him a lascivious smile. Law's stomach wrenched, his anger incited; he knew what was on this man's mind now.

Then another flash of memory took him away, his mind showing Arlong, standing before Nami's broken and bleeding mother, the young girl sobbing as she stood frozen with fear, unable to do anything against the fishmen. With one shot the older woman was dead, falling before Nami's eyes, her life sacrificed to save the girl and her sister.

Brought back to the present once more, he found himself watching as the navigator's shorts were sliced open, the sadistic hunter laughing as his blade cut into her hip mercilessly. Nami was sobbing now, no doubt terrified by what the man seemed inclined to do, while Law growled and fought again, his mind telling him that it was only an illusion. He had to force his eyes shut to her screams as the violet haired man moved to dig his dagger into her leg, the captain trying desperately to focus his mind so he could escape the nightmare he was in.

Just as he felt the chains around him slipping, his mind flashed to Nami being dragged away, a man sliced all over as he fought to get her back. Another scream, and then back to her memories; the girl tossed into a plain room, her prison for the next eight years. A strangled sob, then an image of the small child's head slammed to her desk, the powerful fishmen pirate looming above her as he punished her for a fake map. Nami's pleas rang in his head, before he saw Nami stabbing herself in the arm, over and over again, tears running down her face as she cursed the man who had betrayed her, her hand stopped by his fellow captain, Luffy coming in as her savior, her liberator.

His eyes ripped open as he felt Nami's fearful gaze on him, her tears falling freely as she tried to push the man away from her again, ignoring the bite of razorblades digging into her sides. The doctor focused once more, struggling against the illusory chains around him as their captor moved off of the woman, the man busy smiling darkly at the woman as he pulled himself free of his blood stained pants, preparing to torture her in a way he had never done before.

This time Luffy wasn't there for his navigator, he wasn't there to save her from a torment far worse than anything she had faced at Arlong's hands. This time her only hope rested on a man who had a few weeks before held no vested interest in her survival, the man who was now pulling against his restraints with every ounce of energy he had in him, pushing his willpower against the walls forming in his mind. His prison. Her hell.

And then there was only the sound of chains hitting the ground.

* * *

~Safe~

* * *

Her screams echoed in his ears as he bolted upright in bed, back in their borrowed room in their borrowed house, free of their tormentor. Or at least he was.

Quickly turning to Nami as she thrashed and screamed next to him, Law acted quickly, pushing out his Haki clad Room, encasing them in the barrier and cutting off the pursuer's access to her mind. Even still she screamed, stuck in a nightmare, desperately clawing herself out now that the influence of it was removed. The captain pulled her against him, sitting her up as he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight to his chest as he yelled her name, helping her pull free and come back to him.

"Nami! Nami! Wake up!" The doctor called out to her, shaking her lightly as he pulled her away, his hand smoothing over her unblemished face, checking to make sure the cuts he saw before weren't there. As he continued to call to her, he let his hand run to her hair, combing through the long, sweat drenched looks before going to the back to her face once more. His eyes swept over her, checking to see that everything was physically in place, all evidence of what she went through in the nightmare gone, non-existent as it happened in both their minds. With one final shake of her shoulders, he yelled to her again, "Nami!"

With a strangled gasp she broke out, her eyes wide for a second before squeezing shut, her tears flowing freely again as she moved to cling on to the man in front of her. Her hands snaked around to his back, clawing into his shirt as she buried her face into his shoulder, muffling her sobs as her mind was flooded with memories of the illusion she just suffered. Law just held her, realizing his own panic and fear as the adrenaline wore off now that they were relatively safe.

"I'm sorry," he suddenly said, his voice muffled as he buried his own face against her neck, breathing in the scent of her skin in the hopes it'd erase the illusory smell of her blood that lingered in his mind.

His apology brought another sob, her shoulders shaking as she wept, even as her arms tightened around him more. He couldn't blame her for having this reaction; in all his years, decades as a pirate, he had never seen something so appalling. Yes, he had certainly heard stories, seen the aftermath of a disturbed man's rampage, but never had he bore witness to such cruelty, especially to someone he felt so hopelessly attached to.

"You were there," Nami's voice mumbled out, her sobs making her sound weak and almost empty, his heart constricting painfully at the sound of such a broken spirit.

"I was," he answered, even though it wasn't a question, merely confirming what she already knew, "I'm sorry."

He felt her head shake from side to side with his repeated apology, the young woman pulling away slightly to look at him with puffy, red, bloodshot eyes. With their gazes locked together, she once more shook her head, his hand moving up to wipe away a stray tear as she seemed to be composing herself long enough to say more.

"You were there," she repeated, the determination to speak in her eyes keeping him from responding before she could continue; "you saved me."

His hand stayed frozen on her cheek, resting there as he stared at her with wide eyes, trying to comprehend what it was she was saying.

He had saved her.

He had saved her.

That statement repeated in his mind until it finally clicked into place. He had pushed the madman's influence away before he could succeed in forcing himself upon her. He had kept her from facing a terrifying fate, even if it was only in mind. That sort of cruel torment created far deeper scars than any other, whether it should happen to her physically or mentally.

As his shock gave way to a sense of pure relief, he let himself pull her in again, his face buried against her neck as his hand tangled in her hair. Nami seemed to sink into his hold, her stress, worry, and pain melting away in his arms as she returned his embrace, even more relieved than he was to be where they were then.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear, the faint tickling of her breath against his neck forcing him to suppress the shivers threatening to run down his spine.

"You're welcome, Nami-ya," he responded after taking a deep breath. Out of instinct he pressed his lips to the side of her neck, giving her a short kiss meant to be in comfort, a gesture that came from him without any thought.

When he felt her lips pressing against his shoulder, the young woman apparently returning the simple gesture, he couldn't fight the strange sensation it sent coursing through his body. Pulling away he turned to meet her gaze once more as he pushed his forehead against hers, his face a stoic mask as he looked at her curious and slightly confused expression.

She didn't pull away as his face slowly tilted to the side, his nose brushing against her cheek as he leaned in closer. Her hands tightened against his shirt, her lips slightly parted in anticipation of what he was about to do. The hand in her hair was resting loosely at her neck, his thumb brushing over her jaw as he closed what little space was between them, capturing her lips with his in a soft, gentle kiss.

While the situation may have been grim, the timing strange, for them it was a welcome bliss that pushed out the last tendrils of darkness clinging to their minds. As the kiss deepened, Nami's mouth opening to Law's tongue as he pushed forward to taste her better, the pair let go of their fears and worries. As the captain slowly pushed the young woman back on the bed, they both sought to erase every false defilement, every imaginary scar, every dark memory they bore.

That night, they wouldn't fight the forces that had been pulling them together, both desperate to find something good and beautiful in the ugliness they had just faced.

* * *

**See, I gave you a happy ending to the chapter. XD Also, a note, I'm closing my lemon poll on my profile, you'll find out my decision in the next chapter, along with a lot more on the mystery man (who's obviously a very very very disturbed man). I'm estimating about 3 to 4 more chapters left, so almost done with this.**** :(  
**

**Anyway, please review- I'm especially curious to know what you all thought of this chapter since it really was difficult to write that kind of subject material, even if I didn't go into as much detail as other writers might.  
**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry to keep you all waiting again. I finished this chapter a little short this time, mainly because I feel very bad about keeping you all waiting, but also because I've decided to dedicate the entire next chapter to our bad guy's background, which is heavily hinted at in this chapter.**

**Next, I'd like to give a BIG thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I'm glad to hear you all seem to like the way I portrayed the torture and sexual assault, I really was nervous about that since it's a first for me going so dark. My confidence has been boosted immensely by you all. XD  
**

**And, as promised, the results of my lemon poll- You all get a lemon! It's not really detailed, and it's short- more emotional than anything, I wanted to avoid the smut area with this fic, but it's still something, and it's right away- so if you don't want to read a lemon, then just skip the first five paragraphs and it'll be over.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece of the characters, they belong to Oda Eiichiro.**

* * *

He couldn't hold back anymore, he wanted, needed the woman beneath more than he ever thought imaginable. He didn't care that after this was over he might never see her again, as long as he could say she was his once; he felt he could be happy with just that.

As Law pushed Nami back on the bed, following her as their embrace grew more desperate; he let his hands wander over her skin, ingraining every dip and curve of her body into his memory. He listened to the deep moans coming from her throat as she kissed him, her hands in his hair to keep him there, even though he had no intention of pulling away. The hot air around them seemed to fuel their lust for each other, the two panting into their kisses as they began peeling clothing away from sweat glistened skin.

He groaned as nails racked over his bare back, his tongue tracing hot paths over her chest, savoring the salty flavor of her skin. His hands found their way to her shorts, deftly slipping them off along with his own. As he returned his mouth to hers, he pushed himself into her, not wasting any time in taking his chance to claim her, if only for that night.

Nami didn't stop him, her mind too focused on enjoying the pleasure and comfort that wiped away all the pain and fear she had faced not long before. This was something she wanted, this was with someone she knew and trusted. This was something that was weeks in the making, a result of a growing bond, and escalating attraction neither could deny any longer.

She cried out as Law buried his face in her neck, the man panting into her as he overwhelmed her with pure ecstasy. It wasn't long before they lay exhausted together, the captain collapsed atop her, breathing in her scent as she mindlessly ran her hands through his hair. No words needed to be shared, they both fully understood what had happened and knew they'd deal with the ramifications later, when all was finished with the man hunting them down.

After a few long moments of silence, Law finally rolled away, pulling Nami's pliant, spent body with his so she'd lay on his chest, his arm wrapped around her back as he moved to play with a tendril of her long orange hair. When she turned her face to look up at him, he sent her his characteristic smirk, pressing his lips to her forehead as he basked in the afterglow.

"No falling asleep on me, Nami-ya," he teased, his mouth still pressed against her head as he spoke, chuckling when she huffed at him, obviously not willing to risk sleep again with a lunatic after them.

After that the pair let silence take over, both feeling strangely calm and relaxed, as if there was nothing out there for them to worry over. As Law's hand stayed tangled in the navigator's hair, the young woman's hand mindlessly ran over the planes of his stomach, eventually coming to rest on the still healing wound in his side. The doctor glanced down at her as he felt her hand pause over the mending scar, one fingertip deftly tracing the edges as she stared at it in thought. With a slight frown, he moved to take her hand in his; squeezing it to bring her attention back to him so he could see the slightly haunted look in her eyes. He knew where her mind had drifted to in that time.

"Tell me about your past," he suddenly said, deciding it would be a good way to distract her, even if it did bring up memories he knew she'd rather not have, "I've already seen it, but I'd rather hear about it from you."

Turning her amber eyes down to the hand held tightly in his, Nami took a deep breath as she moved to lace their fingers together, her thumb playing with his as she collected her thoughts. After releasing her breath, she spent the rest of the night telling him everything; from the time she drew her first map, to the day her world came crashing down at Arlong's hands, to the day she met Luffy, and to the day he freed her from an eight year-long nightmare.

Law listened silently, his mind connecting her story with the images he had, his arms never leaving her as she recalled her pain and torment, and her overwhelming happiness. When dawn finally broke, they still laid there, Nami's story finished, both taking in everything they just shared.

Both realizing how very hard it was going to be to let go in the end.

* * *

"He's stronger than I thought," he mused to himself, pushing back his violet locks as he peered at the dark gray dome keeping him from his prey. His grin was as wide as ever, despite his disappointment in being interrupted, still feeling the thrill of torturing the young navigator as he did.

Turning away from the house, he made his way back out of town, heading into the hills that surround the area. He was feeling tired with the late hour, and with his targets safely hidden from his reach he felt it a good time to pay a visit to old friends. Climbing the unkempt paths, he could feel the weariness sinking further into him, his manic grin slowly slipping away with each step. By the time he had reached his destination, his face was stuck in a frown, a deep sense of sadness surrounding him as he sank to the ground beside a large mound that outwardly didn't seem any different from the hills around him.

Reaching out, he set a solemn hand on the side of the hill, caressing the soft tendrils of grass and wildflowers overrunning the surface. His grey eyes darkened to nearly black, turning glassy as he tried desperately to keep a blank and stoic face, unwilling to show his endless sorrow.

"Long time no see," he muttered; his façade cracking as a tear rolled down his cheek, "Sis."

* * *

A few hours past dawn, Law found himself with a gorgeous woman reclining in his lap on the couch, her back to his chest as she sat reading. They had eventually pulled themselves from the bed to eat a meager breakfast from their rations before Nami decided to pull out a book, the novel he knew to be a distraction for her in that moment, her thoughts undoubtedly darkening as they continued to wait. The captain had surprised her, as well as himself, when he took a seat on the couch with her, pulling her to lay between his legs as he stretched out over the surface. Despite her shock, she didn't fight him, taking advantage of the comfort she had come to find in their physical contact.

Law allowed himself to lie there, blankly staring out the balcony doors at the sky, discolored by his Haki barrier, his hand on her waist mindlessly drawing circles underneath her loose, borrowed shirt. His mind had drifted into his own thoughts long before, trying to come up with a better way to deal with their pursuer, but coming up blank as he knew he had to stay near Nami in order to keep her from feeling the other man's illusory effects. It wouldn't be long, though, before his defenses fell again, and he had to be better prepared than he had been the night before. The only thing he had to be thankful of, though, was the fact that he had slept somewhat while stuck in the illusion, his body receiving rest even if his mind was at war. That short respite was just enough to help recharge him, his body used to years with living on little to no rest.

His wandering thoughts and attempts at silently planning were cut short, though, when he spotted something casually flying towards the window, pulling him from his comfortable position as he wondered what could be heading their way. Just as he grabbed his nodachi, positioning himself in front of the confused and slightly fearful Nami, he was surprised to find a News Coo entering his barrier and landing on the balcony railing. Law watched, curious, as the seagull dropped his bundle on the ground and flew off, his job done.

With his sword still in hand, the captain move to pick up the newspaper, somewhat surprised the seagull had delivered anything to what appeared to be a completely uninhabited island. Behind him he heard Nami pull herself up from the couch, nervously approaching him to look over his shoulder to see what they received. Upon opening the newspaper, Law immediately figured out why the bird had come to them, a thick envelope addressed to them hidden within the parcel.

"That's Robin's handwriting!" Nami exclaimed; her eyes focused intently on the package as Law moved to open it, her remark receiving a grunt of acknowledgement from him as he pulled a rather long letter from the envelope. "What did she send?"

"My men have already managed to find your crew; they're headed our way. And it seems Robin-ya has come across some very valuable information on the man who's after us," Law mused, pulling the young woman with him as he moved to sit back down on the couch as he read, his eyes going wide as he skimmed over the words. He knew Nami was still reading over his shoulder when she let out of gasp of surprise, her hand moving up to cover her mouth while the other gripped onto his arm.

"Tangi," he continued, reading Robin's news aloud as the young woman next to him sat back against the couch, "a former bounty hunter, now a criminal sought after by the World Government for targeting and killing marines that have any connection to pirates, including Shichibukai. He has a bounty of two-hundred million beli, and his devil fruit abilities come from the Psi-Psi Fruit. His immense hatred for pirates, and all who willingly work with them, comes from a tragedy that occurred on this very island..."

* * *

Laying down in the soft grass, the morning sun warming his skin, his hand still slowly brushing over the dew covered wisps growing on the mound next to him, Tangi let his mind drift to his past, the road that lead him to where he was. He let out a sadistic chuckle, half-hearted with the tears still streaming down his face, as he thought of all the people he made pay for the destruction of his childhood, his home, his life.

As his memories played back to him, the images flashing through his mind like a distant nightmare that he had long ago tried to forget, he felt sleep drag him down, the first time in nearly three days. He needed rest; his prey could wait just a bit longer for him. He'd awaken later, freshly reminded of his crusade, his heart all the more vengeful and angry. When he awoke next, he'd make their last moments of life a living hell.

* * *

**A note on Tangi's name- from what I found online, his name means 'funeral, to cry with great sadness' in the Pacific Islands. I picked that on purpose because yes, if you can't tell already, I'm going to make you pity him a bit.**

**And as I said before, the next chapter will be entirely dedicated to Tangi's past, so not a lot of Law x Nami moments in there, but I feel our antagonist has waited long enough in having his character developed in this way. With that, I'm guessing this story will be finished in the next 4 chapters. :(  
**

**As always, review please!  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**Good news and bad news everyone. The bad news first; I seem to be dealing with a case of writer's block at the moment. The good news, though, this is the one story that it is somehow not effecting... and thus, you all get another chapter much quicker since I can't find the muse to work on my other fics! So yay for fellow Law x Nami fans (suckiness for my Fairy Tail fandom, though. :p ). But, I figured I'd warn you in case that evil devil that plagues all writers decides to attack this fandom... hopefully it doesn't, I really want to finish this story for everyone (especially since I want to move on to other projects that may or may not involve Law and Nami... or Zoro and Nami, depends on where my muse takes me).**

**Anyway, as I said, this story revolves around Tangi's past and the defining moment that made him who he is. I actually made myself feel really bad for him... like, really, really bad... so, I'll warn you all that this chapter is pretty dark... and somewhat more graphic... but there's a good chunk of action, too... and his sister's totally badass... bu~t... well, I'll just let you read it.  
**

**_Italics_ refer to the past/ flashback.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda.**

* * *

"_Tangi!" A young teenage girl called as she ran through grass covered hills, "Tangi, Dad's looking for you!"_

_The girl paused as she heard a muffled giggle coming from behind a bush nearby, her face setting into a frown as she listened for anything more. When another small giggle came, she fought to hold back her smirk, turning her back on the bush as she moved to pull back her long indigo tresses into a high ponytail._

"_Tangi," she said again, her voice a little quieter, "You were supposed to help Dad at the warehouse today."_

_Again, another giggle floated her way, as she let out an exaggerated huff of annoyance. She continued to stand there, her back to the boy's hiding place with her arms crossed over her chest._

"_Dad's pretty pissed, ya know," she continued, biting her lip to keep from laughing when the young 9 year old Tangi let out a squeak of surprise, "he'll probably make you work double time tomorrow for slacking off today."_

_She could hear him fidgeting then, her mind imagining that he was wringing his hands in thought, his eyes shifting back and forth as he tried to decide what to do. She let out a deep sigh then, turning her face to the bright sun, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the warmth on her tan skin._

"_If you hurry up you might be able to get there in time to help clean up, then maybe Dad won't be so upset with you," she offered, peeking open one eye to sneak a glance at the bush, the leaves rustling slightly as Tangi seemed to be considering it. After a few moments, though, the movement stopped and the boy didn't appear, causing the girl to once more sigh in annoyance, her head shaking back in forth in exasperation at her brother's stubbornness._

_With gentle steps she approached the bush, hearing small giggles from him again as she came to a halt next to it. After waiting a few moments, she darted her hand out quickly, grabbing at the young boy to pull him from his spot. Just as her hand entered the bush, though, she found herself surprised when Tangi's voice suddenly called out from behind her._

"_Boo!" He cried; high pitched squeals of laughter ringing out as she jumped in shock, before turning to tackle the boy to the ground._

"_Tangi!" She yelled as she sat on him, her hands moving to tickle at his ribs in punishment, his laughter becoming more desperate with the treatment. "What did Dad say about using those weird powers on me!?"_

"_Stop! Sis!" Tangi called out, rolling beneath her as he tried to escape her grip, "Kali! I'm sorry, but your face was so funny!"_

"_Funny, eh? I'll give you something to laugh about!" Kali said, her eyes alight with mischief as she stood suddenly, taking the smaller boy with her as she pulled him up by his feet, hanging him upside over the ground as she swung him back and forth._

_Tangi couldn't stop laughing at that point, shrieking out when she swung him particularly high, the teen girl sharing in his amusement as she forgot the reason she had come to find him. After a while, she let him go, releasing him as she chased him around the hills, the siblings enjoying the afternoon without a care in the world._

* * *

He groaned in agony, rolling in the soft grass until he was resting against the burial mound that contained not only his sister, but his entire village, his mind restless as memories assaulted his dreams. Tangi hated his dreams, hated to sleep, hated to relive his happiest days and his greatest tragedy; but he had to. He had to remember what brought him there, what pushed him to keep going, what focused his mind enough to create the sweetest, most horrid torture for the vile creatures who were the cause of his strife.

His gray eyes were shut to the world around him then, squeezing tight to block out the midday sun, only seeing his inner world, filled with demons and hellfire. His hands clawed into the ground around him, as if digging, straining to grasp onto something he lost. His jaw was locked tight, his teeth clenching as his groan turned into an angry growl, even as another tear trailed down his cheek, his unending sorrow showing through his rage.

He hated them.

Hated them.

Hated them.

* * *

_Explosions rocked the small island as dusk approached, bringing the siblings play to an end as they turned their attention to the town, a billow of smoke rising from the center as fires began to form. Without hesitation they took off for their home, worried about their family, even as more blasts came from other areas of the city._

_Ducking through alleyways, Kali held her brother's hand, pulling him along as they dodged debris and avoided collapsing homes. She pulled him to hide against a wall when they finally reached their father's warehouse, the older man standing out front with his workers, all armed with shotguns aimed at a large group of pirates. The older sister clasped a hand over Tangi's mouth as he moved to call out to them, shushing him before he panicked._

"_This island is my turf now!" The grungy looking captain hollered out, his face scowling as he stared down the citizens standing against him._

"_There's nothing of value for you here," their father hollered, his gun aimed at the pirate before him, "our island is worthless to you, so just leave."_

"_Worthless?" The nameless captain chuckled, waving at one of his men, who threw a captured village woman to the ground. The captain continued to laugh as he grabbed the terrified woman by the hair, pulling her up to face the shocked faces of her fellow citizens, "I see worth here in this beautiful face, and not only that, but your island happens to lay in the route for a small operation I have going, that makes it perfect for a home base for me. So, either you stand down and hand everything over, or I'll have no choice but to kill everyone here."_

_Kali's eyes went wide in shock, her heart racing as she held her brother to her in fear, the young boy gasping against her hand before cowering against her. They both knew that nothing good was going to come out of the pirate crew's invasion, especially since they knew their village would not stand down so easily, even if it meant their lives were forfeit._

_They didn't hear any more words, only the resounding gunshot as their father fired, hitting one of the pirates right in the chest. Chaos erupted immediately after, pirates running and clashing with the village men. Women and children running for the docks in the hopes of escaping the madness, only to be cut down or captured; soon to be slaves for the new boss of the island._

_Screams rang through Tangi's mind, cries for help, for mercy; silenced by a gunshot or a blade as the town was quickly massacred. Somewhere in the madness, he felt his sister's hold loosening, just enough for him to slip away and run. He didn't run away, though, he ran straight for his father, the man fighting a losing battle against the captain._

_He would forever blame himself for everything that followed._

* * *

The screaming haunted his dreams; it was the screams of the innocent, the original victims, the ones who only wanted to live in peace with their families. The screams he took sick pleasure in drawing out of his own victims, were screams of regret, screams of the demons that took hold of humans and made them corrupt, they were the screams that came with their sins being carved into their flesh.

He was the judge, jury, and executioner for the scum he found, reaping their lives in payment of all he had lost in his. Their souls were already bought by the devil, destined for the pits of hell, so he felt it only right to give them a taste of their punishment while alive, let them learn to hate themselves before facing their final damnation.

He hated them.

Hated them.

Hated them.

* * *

_His father was a serious man, a brave man, willing to stare death in the face if it meant protecting the ones he loved. He fought to hold their family together after their mother died, caring for two children who had learned the bitter taste of death and sorrow for the first time. He worked hard day in and day out, he helped run the town, keeping it safe from any within that sought to take away their peace._

_He wanted to help his father, he wanted to save his father, but he didn't._

_The moment he was a few feet from him, he called out. In that split second that his father's eyes turned to him, the pirate captain impaled him through gut with his sword, his scowl turning into a eerie smile as he turned his eyes on the boy, taunting him as he twisted the blade. The sickly sounds making their way to Tangi's ears froze him in his tracks, his eyes wide as he watched his father collapse, his hands grasping at the blade in a futile, instinctive effort to prolong his life. With a sadistic chuckle, the pirate slowly pulled his sword free, sweeping it away to splatter the man's blood on the boy's face, breaking Tangi from his shock._

"_Thanks, brat, for helping me end that quicker," the pirate said as he walked forward, ignoring the dying man's calls for him to stop. As he reached the terrified child, he grabbed hold of his neck, hoisting Tangi up to look into his eyes as he spoke again, "as a reward, I'll let you have a word with your pops before I kill you… or maybe, if I feel generous enough, I'll let you live as a slave."_

_With that he threw the boy back down, skidding across the hard ground until he came to rest next to his father's body. As the pirate captain walked away, laughing as he withdrew his gun and started shooting at random citizens, Tangi's attention was drawn to the raspy breaths of his father. Turning terrified eyes to the man, he watched as his father reached out for him, laying a blood stained hand on his cheek as sadness and regret flashed over his face._

"_Tangi," the older man forced out, "run away from here, and never look back."_

"_But, Dad!" Tangi cried out, grabbing hold of his father as the gravity of the situation finally caught up to him._

_His father only shook his head at him, his eyes drifting past to watch as Kali ran to them, her eyes drowning in tears as she moved to wrap her arms around her brother. With a deep breath the man moved his hand to pull out a dagger, a family heirloom, holding it out to the crying girl._

"_Take this, Kali, protect your brother," he gasped, his eyes starting to cloud over as he spoke, "you're all he has left now, so always stay by each others sides."_

_As life faded from the man's eyes, Kali forced down her tears long enough to pry her brother off the body, choking back sobs when Tangi fought to stay. She could feel panic welling up inside her, fires bursting up all around them as she desperately tried to take the boy away. If he could just focus, he would be able to hide their presence and get them to safety, but as he clung to the lifeless man, she knew that was impossible._

"_Tangi! We have to go!" She called out to him, pulling him up with all the power she had, "You heard Dad, we have to run, there's nothing left for us here!"_

_Finally an explosion not far from them shocked the child enough that Kali was able to pry him away for good, their instincts kicking in, screaming at them to run. She ran, partially dragging Tangi along next to her as they ducked in and out of alleyways, dodging the pirates running rampant throughout the town._

_When the docks came into sight, she had the audacity to think that they were almost safe, a small boat tied in the harbor beckoning them as they ran. Right when her feet hit the wood of the dock, her speed about to pick up as she ran for the boat's mooring, she felt the steady weight of her brother ripped from her arms, forcing her to turn back to see him seized by a small group from the pirate crew. Tangi was screaming then, his hand reaching for her as they began to pull him away, a few pirates left behind to capture her, as well._

_Kali refused to go down without a fight, though, just like her father, and she quickly pulled out the dagger he had gifted her, waving it in the faces of the startled men. She frowned as they just laughed at her, not seeing her as a viable threat, not knowing that her father had trained her. When they once more lunged at her, she moved swiftly, piercing their jugulars and bringing them down easily. She held down her bile as blood coated her hands, the men falling limp before her causing the other pirates to turn back and attack, leaving Tangi with only one guard._

_She found herself surrounded by four pirates then, her mind straining to ignore Tangi's cries as he continued to panic within the tight hold of his captor. She was all he had then, the screams coming from the town reminding her of that stark reality, and she wouldn't let him die at the hands of a savage pirate. Without a thought she lashed out again, taking out another man before she found her arms held tight behind her back. That still didn't stop her as she kicked her feet up, landing a firm blow on the one who had grabbed her, forcing him to release her so she could turn and swipe at his neck as well._

_Another man down, more blood on her hands, but it was all for Tangi._

_She didn't hesitate as she struck another, narrowly missing her deadly target, but she didn't pause, she only struck again, hitting the vein and watching with angry eyes as he bled out before turning to the last attacker. He looked weak, yet he held a confident air about him, his mouth stretched wide in a grin as he cockily waved for her to come at him. So she did._

_She wasn't expecting him to have a devil fruit power, a miscalculation she learned when her blade hand was quickly wrapped up in thick vines. With her eyes wide in shock, the used her free hand to desperately pry at the plant, panic gripping her as they only moved to wrap around her more, new shoots coming out of the ground to bind her ankles, traveling up her body to wrap around her neck. As the circulation to her hand stopped, she found she couldn't hold her weapon any longer, the dagger slipping from her numb fingertips._

_Her mind was growing fuzzy as the vines around her throat tightened further, her lungs struggling for breath as her airway was slowly crushed. She could faintly hear Tangi's cries, the screams from the villagers, the pained shouts of the pirate holding her brother. They were all swimming together then, until there was nothing._

_She couldn't see anymore. She couldn't feel anymore. She couldn't hear anymore. His voice broke in again, just one last time. Then there was only black._

"_Kali!"_

* * *

"When the marines arrived a few days later, he was the only survivor, covered head to toe in blood, appearing completely numb to the world around him," Law read aloud, his hand seeking Nami's as he heard her sympathetic crying, temporarily forgetting the torment the man put her through as she listened to his tragic past. "When they learned that the boy had single handedly taken out the pirate crew with his devil fruit powers, they immediately recruited him, seeing a great deal of potential in his abilities. Even still, he was too much for them to handle, and he went out of control after only five years, his deep hatred for all pirates, and any that associated with them, too much as he turned to killing marines he thought had become corrupted. Ten years after his first bounty, the marines haven't come any closer to catching him."

"They probably were corrupt," Nami mumbled, remembering the marine Arlong kept on his payroll so that his actions on her island would be overlooked. Law silently agreed as he set down the letter from Robin, leaning back to wrap an arm around the woman as a somber atmosphere enveloped them.

Even as they felt a modicum of pity for Tangi, they couldn't forgive him for all that he had put them through thus far, especially when they knew other pirates, not all nearly as cruel as the rest, had endured the same torture as them. If Tangi was allowed to continue his rampage, it was only a matter of time before his own madness and torment consumed him, and from there he'd likely turn his crusade on the innocent, deranged into believing them sympathizers of his self-professed enemy. It was actually rather surprising he hadn't already, but it was possible some of his crimes hadn't been documented, swept under the rug as the government sought to hide the truth of a former marine and bounty hunter turning into a sadistic murderer.

Silence descend over them as their minds drifted to the coming days; Luffy's arrival and what was guaranteed to be a difficult battle, so much was to come and neither knew what to think. Law let his hand drift into Nami's hair, absentmindedly playing with the long locks as he stared at nothing, quietly contemplating what he had to do next, how he was going to protect her and fight. There were too many variables, and he couldn't afford a distraction, but he also couldn't afford to sacrifice Nami to any more torture. He knew he didn't have much time to plan, his barrier weakening with every passing hour they waited.

When Nami moved to rest her head on his shoulder, though, he let his smug grin cross his face as he leaned his cheek against her hair. He knew as she wrapped an arm around his torso, that he wouldn't fail her, not then, not ever. He was Trafalgar Law, Captain of the Heart Pirates, Shichibukai, and begrudging ally to one of the toughest men he'd ever met, Monkey D. Luffy. In the end, all he had to do was show the madman why his generation was called the worst, why he was given the title of Supernova, and why Luffy trusted him so faithfully with his navigator.

Very soon, it would all be over.

* * *

**As always, thanks to my reviewers, and an extra note to FranbergH: I actually really like that meaning of Tangi, too, it still kinda fits with him, in an ironic sort of way, so thanks for that. XD**

**Lastly, a small note on Kali's name, since I do actually pick these out not just because they sound awesome, but because they mean something in various languages. Kali, in Sanskrit, is a reference to the Hindu triple goddess of creation, preservation, and destruction (depending on the way it's spelled). Other spellings (in Sanskrit) can have it meaning 'time' and 'black', or 'terrible.' I tried to incorporate all of these meanings into her personality and actions, so hopefully it worked... that name meaning just called out to me for how I pictured her. And a random note, since I was actually aiming for Polynesian/ Pacific Islander sort of names for the siblings- Kali, according to my "trusty" internet, means wooden pillow in Tongan... obviously not a good fit for her here, bu~t whatever.  
**

**After re-reading this... I think most of my pity comes from Kali's point of view. :/  
**


	16. Chapter 16

**I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to finish this chapter as quickly as I did, so YAY! It's the final battle! I'll have a few notes at the end, so I won't bore you with them now, just enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Eiichiro Oda.**

* * *

Tangi couldn't contain his feral grin as he slipped quietly through the town near dusk, aiming for the large house his pirate prey hid themselves in. He had slept through the day, his body and mind felt completely fresh and ready to torment the pair.

The dark gray dome loomed ahead of him, appearing all the more intimidating under the rapidly darkening skies, a distant rumble of thunder from a storm far out at sea adding to the effect. He could feel it, though; the pirate captain was tiring, his defenses steadily weakening as the night approached. All he had to do was get in position, and the moment the barrier fell, he could strike. He knew he would most likely only have a small window before Law recovered enough to at least defend himself, so he had to be ready. The transition would be seamless if all went well, neither knowing what was happening until it was far too late.

Melting into the shadows of a nearby alley, a hand going to pat his most prized possession, he let his mad laughter go, the only warning he'd give as he waited for the inevitable.

* * *

"Shit," Law mumbled, his head lying back against the couch as he tried to ignore the echoing laughter outside. He tightened his hold around the navigator next to him as he heard her whimper slightly, her hands clutching at his shirt desperately as he did.

They were out of time, he knew it, and Tangi was making it abundantly clear that he knew as well.

"Nami-ya," he began quietly, turning his eyes to the woman as she lifted her head to look at him, "I can't hold my Room up much longer, so when it falls, make sure you stay next to me. Don't let go of me, even for a second."

Nami nodded in understanding, her hands tightening even more as she found her mind overcome with her fears. She was surprised, though, when she felt his hand move to her chin, lifting her face as he leaned his head closer to hers.

"Everything will be fine, just trust me. Okay?" The captain reassured, giving her a short kiss before pulling away again to lay his head back down on the couch.

All Nami could do then was watch him; his eyes closing for a moment as his exhaustion overtook him, then snapping them open again just as his barrier began to waver. To say she was terrified was an understatement, she never could tell what Law was thinking, what he was planning, and right now she needed to know what was going through his head. Even though she knew she trusted him, far more than she ever did before, she couldn't shake the lingering nervousness she felt when she didn't have control. Everything seemed to be resting on the Heart captain and how long he could hold his defenses, and standing on the brink of where his limits lay was more than she thought she could take.

When his eyes closed again, the arm around her going limp, she felt her heart clenching in her chest. When he didn't open them again, her eyes snapped to the barrier, watching with a cool panic overtaking her mind as the Room fell completely, leaving them completely vulnerable to the madman hunting them. She clung to Law then, refusing to let go of him just as he asked her to, while waiting for the inevitable feeling of having something foreign enter her mind.

After a few minutes she felt her body relax as the strange sensation never seemed to come over her, confusing her as she knew Tangi had been outside waiting. Her eyes swept up to Law's face as she felt him stir next to her, his arm around her shoulders tightening once more as his eyes opened again. He kept his blue eyed gaze on the ceiling above, his face blank as he sighed to himself.

"I guess that's it, then," she heard him mumbled before he turned to look at her, his expression mutely apologetic as he began to pull them up from the couch. "We can't stay here, we need to move while I build up my strength again, Nami-ya."

She watched as he stood and moved to take hold of his nodachi, a strange feeling of doubt and unease taking over her then. Without a word she reached for his free hand, grabbing hold of it tightly and watching as he turned to her in surprise. Still silent she looked at him closely, waiting, until his face relaxed into his confident smirk, his hand squeezing hers in reassurance as he nodded at her.

"You still trust me, right, Nami-ya?"

Nami swallowed thickly, hesitating for only a moment as she desperately searched his familiar blue eyes, that feeling of unrest still holding steady in her heart, before giving him a shaky nod. His smirk widened then as a deep chuckle escaped his lips, his hand tugging hers as he led her from the house, into empty streets, and open air.

With his head turned forward, his face hidden in the shadows of night; she felt more trapped than ever.

* * *

She was gone. That's the only thought he had the moment his eyes snapped open again. It was only a minute, but it felt like an eternity. His mind filled with maniacal laughter and Cheshire grins, the weight of her body lifting from his side registering only after it was too late. It only took him a minute to drive him out of his mind, but it wasn't fast enough to keep her safe.

Angry blue eyes swept over the bedroom, searching desperately for any sign of the young navigator he had charged himself to protect. The woman he come to care for.

He found nothing, the space void of her presence completely. When his eyes fell on the spot where he had propped his sword next to him, he realized the man's game. His nodachi was missing, and that only meant one thing to him. Somewhere wandering those streets, Nami was following him, seeing someone she trusted while sitting in the hands of a deranged psychopath.

Not wasting any more time, Law bolted from the room, jumping from the balcony to the streets below as he searched for Nami with his Haki. He could just barely feel her, along with him, the pair heading towards the fountain he had first found her weeks before. He ran through the narrow streets, taking what he knew was the quickest route to her, praying in his mind that he wasn't too late.

He could feel Tangi's intentions clearly, and they were as sick as ever. When he broke out into the plaza, what he saw had him seeing red with rage, his feet freezing for a moment as he took in the scene before him. His eyes clashed with dark gray orbs as the psychopath laughed at him, Nami wrapped up in his arms in what could only be described as a loving embrace, his long sword strapped to the other man's back as if it belonged there.

He watched as Tangi pulled away from the woman, tilting her chin up to so he could look into empty amber eyes. Law felt himself growling as the other man sneered, obviously enjoying the fact that he had succeeded in taking her away.

"You still trust me, Nami-ya?" Tangi asked her as his hand deftly reached into a hidden pocket, the young woman nodding naively to him. The action spurred Law to move once more, the captain walking with purpose to them as his mind worked in overtime to figure out the best way to get her away from the madman.

Law wasn't a very physical fighter, preferring to work from a distance with his nodachi and devil fruit abilities. He had a few techniques reserved for close combat, though, and with the right timing he knew he should be able to utilize them against his violet haired opponent, but he had to get Nami as far from them as he could. The only thing that gave him some sense of relief was the sight of her hands, clenched into fists at her sides. He knew then, that she felt something was off, even if she didn't know what, and was holding herself back from running in fear.

Just as the glint of a dagger caught his eye, Law activated his Room, calling up every ounce of strength he had in his reserves to infuse it with his Haki. His eyes went wide as he watched, almost in slow motion, as his Room expanded around them, at the same time Tangi moved the blade to hang over Nami's shoulder, taunting the captain as he let it slowly caress her skin while pushing the collar of her shirt to the side. And in the blink of an eye, the blade was snapped back before descending with sadistic glee towards her chest. A second more and he would have been too late.

He stood there, coughing up blood through his smug grin as he looked at Tangi's shocked face, the psychopath's dagger buried deep in his side. A shriek of surprise coming from the opposite end of the plaza let him know Nami was alright, the woman breaking free of the illusion she had been unknowingly been spellbound in, to see Law taking the hit that was meant for her.

"So you switched places with her," Tangi stated as his surprise wore off, his hand covered by the doctor's as he held the blade still.

Law had managed to put himself in Nami's position fast enough to deflect the blade to a less deadly region of his body, knowing it would have been nearly impossible to prevent a hit completely. With a hard tug, Tangi pulled his hand, and the weapon, free, glaring at the man before him for a second more, then letting his Cheshire grin spread over his lips.

"Either way, it won't be long before I have her again."

His eerie comment had Law frowning as he stepped away, one hand held to the newest wound in his side while the other teleported his nodachi back to him. Something didn't feel right, his body felt slow, nearly unresponsive to his commands. It was then he realized exactly what Tangi had done, his eyes going wide as he watched the man tilt his head back and laugh up at the sky.

"You're a doctor, correct?" The psychopath asked rhetorically. "So you know very well what curare is, and how it affects the body. How long do you think you have before you're paralyzed completely?"

"Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes if I'm lucky," he answered, ignoring Nami's shocked gasp as she heard their small exchange.

"Oh? Good, that means I still managed to miss a major vein, I wouldn't want you to succumb to the effects too fast," the other man taunted.

Now he really had to act fast, the toxin wasn't necessarily lethal, but if he didn't receive treatment soon, there was a chance it could be. In medicine, curare was something he was very familiar with, in correct dosages and with proper preparation it could be used as a muscle relaxant. In pirate medicine, he could use it to perform very sadistic operations on special patients, his own victims paralyzed while still feeling every cut he made, his own brand of torture that was more than likely part of the reason behind his epithet, The Surgeon of Death. It was that paralytic factor that worried him; the untreated effects resulting in him suffocating without respiratory aid.

Understanding very well where he stood in this battle, Law acted fast, forcing his body to move as it normally would before the poison took complete hold of him. With Tangi still standing in front of him, he quickly positioned his hands in front of the man's chest, smirking darkly as electric currents formed in his palms.

"Counter shock," he said simply, calling forth his attack that sent Tangi flying back, surprised at the impact that seemed to hit him straight in the heart.

As his opponent slowly stood back up, his muscles twitching slightly from the currents still going through him, Law felt himself stumble slightly back, the poison slowing his body's movements more. That one moment of vulnerability gave Tangi the opening he needed, the agile man charging forward to slash at the captain's chest. He was able to react only fast enough to avoid a full hit, leaning his torso back so the psychopath's dagger only managed to graze his skin, the wound superficial, though it still held the additional impact of more curare entering his system.

Law had one more move he could use, one that would end the battle quickly, but he had to catch Tangi completely off guard for it to work. In the meantime, the two men would battle it out in the plaza, dodging and blocking each other's attacks in rapid succession. With each passing minute, Law could feel his body slowing more and more, cursing under his breath as he found himself only capable of blocking the other man's wild slashes, while manipulating the ground around the plaza itself, raising walls and pillars of stone to slow Tangi's attacks as much as possible.

It was when he found himself dodging again, rolling along the ground until he came to rest in front of where Nami chose to wait, her body frozen in shock at the battle before her; he knew the fight had to end. Not only could he feel the paralytic taking complete hold of him, but at the back of his mind he could feel it, the one thing missing to give him the edge he needed. It was coming fast, and he couldn't be more thankful for that than he was that Tangi hadn't seemed to notice himself, or that if he did, he didn't seem too worried about it.

Crouching on his knee in front of the woman, he watched as Tangi grinned at him, obviously thinking Law was done for, the man panting hard and seemingly unable to move any more. The captain kept his face blank, his eyes never leaving the other man's as he walked towards him, his ornate dagger twirling between his fingers.

"So, this is it, then?" Tangi asked smugly, his dark grey eyes glancing back to watch as Nami cowered behind the other pirate. "This is all that you were good for, Trafalgar Law. I thought you Supernova captains were supposed to be tougher, especially one who was even gained the rank of Shichibukai. I guess there's not much you can do against a paralytic, though."

Law didn't answer, far too focused on the plan he had in mind to care about his opponents vain attempts at taunting him. He watched silently as Tangi snorted in amusement before rushing forward, his blade poised to take out the apparently defenseless captain in one move.

Letting his deadly smirk cross his face then, Law unleashed his last ditch strategy, the column of stone raising before him catching the madman completely off guard. With a swiftness Tangi thought to be impossible then, the captain let the pillar fall again, just in time as his hand shot forward pushing against his sternum with deadly force.

"Mes," he called out, his smug tone unmistakable as Tangi felt his heart carved from his body, the organ flying out his back before he knew what was happening.

With a deadly chuckle, Law called the encased heart to his hands, holding it triumphantly as he watched the other man stumble back in shock, his hand clutching the empty space in his chest. Violet hair covered his eyes as he lifted them to face the pirates, scowling at the captain who appeared to have defeated him.

"You can't move anymore, Law," he growled, refusing to give up, "even though you have my heart in your hands, you can't tell your muscles to crush it."

Law chuckled again, "I don't need to do anything more, Tangi, seeing as there are plenty of people here now who'd very much enjoy a chance to crush this for me."

With far better timing than he could have hoped, the captain listened to the familiar holler of his rival and ally as he came running at full speed toward them, steam coming from his body as he was already prepared to fight.

"Red Hawk!" Luffy called out, his Haki darkened fist flying into Tangi's shocked face the moment he entered the plaza, sending the man flying into the fountain with that one hit.

Panting with rage the other captain stood there watching and waiting for the psychopath to get up again, the rest of his crew running up behind him then. As the seconds ticked by with no movement from the pile of stone the other man had fallen into, Luffy found himself rapidly calming down, his anger turning to confusion then disappointment at the lack of a battle.

"What the hell, that was easy!" He cried out for a moment, before letting his relaxed, cheerful laughter overtake him as his eyes turned to the other captain and what he held in his hand. "Ah! Traffy! You took his heart! No wonder!"

Law chuckled softly at him, his breathing becoming more labored as he felt his body failing him then.

"Can't let you have all the glory, now can I, Mugiwara-ya."

Their subdued victory was cut short then as the Heart captain fell back, caught by the surprised and terrified navigator who still stood behind him.

"Law!" Nami cried out as she slowly lowered him to the ground, his head resting on her knees as the others came running to them, Chopper leading the way as he quickly began examining his fellow doctor.

"Curare," he muttered to the small reindeer, knowing full well he'd understand and act fast.

He listened distantly as Chopper began calling out for someone to carry him as they raced back to the ship. His eyes shutting to the sight of Nami's worried face hovering over him, his breathing slowing as he felt the soft pressure of her hand on his cheek. All he could do was feel and listen then, unsure of what was happening around him, if he was awake or asleep. Time passed by but he couldn't sense how long, only knowing that throughout it all he could hear her concerned sobs next to him, her voice begging him to overcome it. The hand holding his tightly was all he focused on then; spending that time in the dark willing his hand to squeeze back and let her know everything would be alright.

But he couldn't, and that terrified them both.

* * *

**Note 1: Yes, a cliffie, sorry, but the next chapter will be the last, gotta make you squirm for it. I'd like to give a big thanks to all of you who have been following this... your reviews have kept me going and I'm glad to spread the Law x Nami love to everyone.**

**Note 2: Everything I said about curare is true, if I could pick a favorite paralytic that I learned about in physiology and pharmacology, that would be it. For those not familiar with medicine, though, it's also the toxin used on blow darts. It can only effect the body through the blood stream, so it has to be administered intravenously (which has a faster rate of onset) or intramuscularly (which is slower and the case I used in this story). This is actually the reason it's used in blow darts for indigenous South Americans who use this method for hunting- the compound is not toxic when ingested orally- i.e. eaten.  
**

**Note 3: I know I have a few Kid x Nami fans reading this... well, for those interested, and want some really sick and twisted romance from them... I wrote a smut one-shot that's far raunchier than the Law x Nami one I wrote that's on lj. So, if you're perverted enough, or just curious, my lj address is on my profile page, it'll be the most recent story posted there. I don't know what got in to me... but it was keeping me from writing this chapter, so I had to get it out. I think my Kid muse kidnapped my Law muse and threatened to kill him if I didn't give him something from my Nami muse... at least that's what I'm telling myself. :3  
**

**Note 4: I've already announced this to my Fairy Tail followers, and I'm desperate to announce it to my OP followers- I've set up a tumblr blog to take prompts for my various fandoms. For those interested the url is kagehime3prompts. tumblr. com- so check it out, general guidelines in the first post. My GaLe fans are already taking advantage of it, but I would love to get some prompts from my fellow OP fanatics. It's mostly for one-shots and drabbles... and smut... so I'll be keeping more adult requests there, but 'safer' requests I'll post here, too.  
**

**And that's it for my boring notes, I hope you all look forward to how I end this story. Thanks again! XD  
**


	17. Chapter 17

**I am so so very sorry for the excruciating wait for this final chapter. Between my muse dying, my laptop being infected with malware, and all around busyness with the holidays and work, I just couldn't get focused on this. With this final chapter, I'm going to be taking a small hiatus, focus on other things and hopefully be able to come back with some fresh stories for LawNa and even ZoNa (maybe Kid x Nami, too). Anyway, I want to thank you all for sticking with me through this entire endeavor, and I hope you all like my ending since I'm kinda 'meh' with it. For my fellow ZoNa shippers- you get a little love in this chapter, I've been getting some feels for them again lately, so I just felt I had to sneak a little into this story.**

**So, enough of my rambling, please enjoy this final chapter, and thanks again!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or the characters, they belong to Oda Eiichiro.**

* * *

His mind was foggy, aware and then unaware, a mess of sounds and sensations assaulted him as he tried to remember where he was, what had happened. He could feel the lull, the rocking of the ship, the sound of the hull adjusting to the pressure of the sea all too familiar to him. A monotonous tone in the background he easily recognized as life monitors, his mind idly realizing they were for him. At one point he thought he felt a strange pressure in his airway, but his mind went black again almost immediately after before he could figure out what was there.

"Nami! Law will be fine, I have him completely stabilized," a high pitched voice broke into his thoughts at some point, his addled mind recognizing it as the Straw Hats' Doctor. "You really need to get some rest, Nami, so just trust me and go to bed."

His awareness began to drift again before he could hear the woman answer, but what little he did hear was enough to rekindle his memory. He had been paralyzed by curare poisoning from his fight with Tangi. Law knew he was most certainly fortunate for his crew and the Straw Hats' timing, if they had come much later he wasn't sure he'd have lasted through the night. The feeling he had earlier in his throat, he realized, must have been from a breathing tube, the one thing that was vital in stabilizing him as his body worked the poison from his system with the help of whatever drugs the other doctor chose to administer.

As his consciousness drifted back once more, he wondered how long it had been since he had succumbed to the drug. Time was allusive when one wasn't aware, and between the sedatives and his paralysis, there was absolutely no chance of him keeping track of the hours he had been recovering. He knew it took the body anywhere from thirty minutes to eight hours to resume independent breathing, from there it was just a matter of time before his whole body should be able to move again. Considering his injuries, both old and new, he wouldn't put it past his fellow doctor to keep him under sedation so he could heal, the possibility making him even more unsure of how much time had passed.

His mind slowly moved on from its idle musings on the relative concept of time while one was unconscious, somehow realizing the thoughts weren't all that important. Law then began to feel his senses open up to his surroundings, once more hearing the repetitive tones of the monitors and the hull adjusting; those sounds familiar to him and reminding him of his previous forays into a distant awareness. With his bearings coming back full force, he felt his body make some attempt at movement, one of his hands twitching, fingers curling, finding a soft, warm pressure there that seemed to hold it in place.

As a groan escaped his throat, he finally forced his eyes open; curious to see what he was feeling. His blue eyes lazily drifted down to the side of the bed, coming to rest on a head of bright orange hair resting on the bed beside him, Nami's face soft in sleep as she held his hand in a light grip. It was then he vaguely recalled hearing Chopper's plea for her to rest, a smirk gracing his face as he realized she must have passed out while watching over him, the woman leaning over the bed from the chair she had set beside it.

"Chopper gave her some mild sedatives," a deep, serious voice broke into his musings, drawing his gaze to the blank face of the Straw Hats' green-haired swordsman. Zoro stood guard at the doorway, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, his eyes closed to the world while his mind stayed keenly aware of his surroundings. "She refused to leave, though."

"I'm guessing you're here to keep an eye on her, then?" Law crooked out, attempting to clear his sore throat as best he could after, his voice rough from disuse and the tube that had at one time been down his airway.

"Something like that," Zoro nodded, pushing himself away from the wall so he could grab a glass of water, holding it out to the captain to take before continuing. "Luffy wanted to make sure someone stayed with her to keep her company, and since he's too hyper to sit still for long, and that love cook wouldn't stop sobbing long enough to let Nami sleep, I got volunteered for the job."

"And the others?" He asked after taking a sip of the cool water, moving to prop himself up in the bed without disturbing the sleeping woman next to him.

"Between keeping Luffy from raiding your fridge, and taking Tangi to drop off at the nearest marine base, they're busy." The swordsman explained, taking his position at the door again, his good eye shutting once more a signal that they didn't have anything more to discuss, at least not then.

Drowsily Law turned his attention back to Nami, his hand tightening around hers as he drank in the sight of her. Her bruises and scars were practically gone, only a few small cuts and scrapes were visible that most likely came from their final battle with Tangi. Her hair was a mess, her concern over him apparently enough to keep her from taking an opportunity to shower. It didn't matter to him, though; she was still beautiful, as long as she was alive.

Slowly, with great care and gentleness, he pulled his hand free from her grasp, pausing for a moment as she let out a low, annoyed groan in her sleep. When she settled once more, he moved his now free hand to the ends of her long hair, doing his best to keep his movements from the swordsman's sight. Running a few strands through his fingers, he lightly brushed his hand through whatever he could, his eyes softening when she released a contented hum.

"So that shit cook's sobbing wasn't for nothing." Zoro's voice once more broke in, Law's eyes snapping back to the other man to observe him still standing at the door with his good eye shut, appearing completely unable to see what the captain was doing. With a subtle movement, though, the other man slowly peeked open his eye, fixing it intently on the man in bed. "Something happened between you two."

Zoro's comment wasn't a question, so Law felt no need to answer, not that he would have otherwise. As far as he was concerned, it was Nami's business to tell whoever she wanted about what happened between them, at least amongst her own crew, and he didn't need to answer to any of them. Staring at the swordsman with a stoic frown on his face, he couldn't help but wonder why the other man would even care; he wasn't the type to take any interest in other peoples' relationship.

Catching Zoro make a quick glance at the sleeping navigator, though, gave Law his answer. Nami was, despite all their disagreements, still his friend, a part of his family, and someone who was important to every single member of the Straw Hat crew. He was being cautious and protective of someone he cared about, someone he didn't want to see possibly taken from his small crew for any reason. Nami had been with he and Luffy the longest, without her they very well could have become lost at sea, starved to death should their luck have run out, and never have made it as far as they had. Without her talents in navigation and weather prediction, they'd be lost. Those were just the more logical reasons for his concern; Law could only imagine what else Zoro was thinking about with the situation.

Before anything more could be said, both men's attentions were drawn to the door as they heard a rather loud commotion that could belong to only one person. As the door was slammed open to reveal the fun loving Straw Hat captain, they watched as he was promptly kicked in the head by Sanji who had come in right behind him.

"Look! Traffy's awake!" Luffy cheered, pointing at the other captain sitting up in bed, a smile on his face as he completely ignored the large lump forming on his head.

"Shitty captain, Nami-swan is sleeping!" The blonde man hollered, earning a sigh of annoyance from Zoro.

"Keep it down," Zoro growled, staring pointedly at the men as he gestured to the bed, "both of you."

Unfortunately any attempts at keeping them quiet for Nami's sake were pointless, as the young woman had begun to groan in annoyance, slowly turning her head to look up in confusion. Her eyes first landed on Law, the man staring at her with a blank, unreadable expression, before looking around the room to see three of her crew mates standing there watching her. Blinking away her grogginess, Nami sat up completely, still oddly lethargic from the drugs Chopper had given her, stretching her back to get the knots out from the odd position she had slept in.

"How are you feeling, Nami-san?" Sanji asked quietly, getting a confused shrug as his only answer from the woman.

Honestly, she didn't feel all that great, and while she knew the sedatives were partly to blame, she couldn't help but wonder if her confused emotions played a role in it, too. She felt completely drained, exhausted, and incredibly reluctant to think that things were going to be back to normal in a matter of days. Nami could feel Law's eyes on her, and that only made things worse as she tried to keep her attention focused on a random point on the floor. Even as he watched her, she could tell he was keeping a distance, closing himself off, something she couldn't blame him for. What happened on the island wasn't something that could happen again; they had to part ways and sever any attachment they may have developed to each other. She was surprised by how painful that thought was, and she couldn't help but wonder if Law's thoughts mirrored her own.

"How 'bout you, Traffy?" Luffy asked suddenly, breaking into the woman's thoughts as he bounded over to Law's bedside to stand next to her, crouching down slightly as he regarded his fellow captain.

"I'm fine, Mugiwara-ya," Law stated simply, his eyes moving from Nami to regard the young man, acting as indifferent as he could to the navigator.

"Then we need to celebrate!" Luffy hollered out, jumping up to turn to his cook with a great deal of enthusiasm. "Sanji! Meat!"

"You've already eaten, Luffy!" Sanji yelled back, the pair descending into an argument over whether it was really a good time to party anyway. "They still need their rest-"

As the pair argued, neither noticed Nami's growing annoyance, a hand going to her head to fight off a headache as her drugs continued to wear away, and her mind began to churn over all her emotions and confusion. Law managed to catch her eyes for a moment, holding back a strangely pressing urge to reach out for her, before she turned away again. The woman stood up with a sudden force, bringing the argument to a halt, as she kept her head down while she walked towards the door, pausing next to a serious Zoro so she could speak.

"I need some air," Nami said, the distant tone of her voice setting the men on edge as they watched her leave. "Let the idiot have his party, Sanji-kun."

As she walked out the door, she could hear Luffy's loud victory cheer but ignored it as she escaped the confined walls of the Heart Pirate's ship and made her way to the deck. Nami needed peace and quiet, a moment for herself, and she knew the best place for it as she took in the sorely missed sight of the Thousand Sunny anchored next to the yellow submarine. With a small smile making its way to her face, she didn't waste any time in crossing the gangplank connecting the two ships, stealthily avoiding any members from either crew as she headed straight for her small grove of mikan trees. Slipping between the trunks, Nami made herself comfortable beneath the canopy, surrounded by the scent that reminded her so much of her home, her sister, her late mother, and all the memories that pushed her forward.

With her mind drifting, she never noticed the figure that followed her out, staying hidden in the shadows upon the submarine decks, keeping a distance even as his bright blue eyes watched her. Law had taken advantage of the chaos his fellow captain was creating just then, the younger man busying himself by nagging everyone to prepare for their celebratory feast, to slip out of his recovery bed after Nami had left. He'd leave her alone to get her thoughts in order, well aware that she probably had a great deal on her mind, but he'd continue to keep an eye on her, if only for his own selfish needs. He had a great deal to think about, too, before they finally parted ways. When both of their minds were in order again, then they could talk and say their goodbyes, and hopefully without interruption.

* * *

Later that night, Nami slipped away from the loud and boisterous party her captain threw for her return, both crews still encased in the revelry in the Aquarium Bar. It had definitely lifted her spirits, but at the same time she still had the lingering thoughts of what would come when that night was over. She had avoid Law as much as she could throughout the night, keeping up an air of friendly acquaintanceship rather than giving in to the deeper sense of attachment she had come to develop with him. He didn't seem to care either way, his attitude as laid-back and at ease as it always was, maintaining the distance she was putting between them without any thought.

With a drawn out sigh, she leaned over the railing of the Thousand Sunny, her head resting on her folded arms as she remained tucked away in the shadows on the deck, staring down at the yellow submarine docked next to them. She had spent weeks on that ship, befriending the rival crew and captain, and now it was over. It felt far too soon for her, but she knew she had to accept it as reality, that was always how it was for a pirate. She'd made plenty of friends during her time at sea with the Straw Hats, friends she wasn't completely sure she'd ever see again.

Nami didn't bother looking up as she heard the sound of steady footsteps heading towards her, the gait slow, almost lazy while holding an unshakeable confidence. She kept her gaze forward as they slowly came to stand next to her, leaning down in a similar manner, almost mockingly she felt. She could feel his eyes on her, his head turned to look at her as they stood there in silence, neither completely willing to jump into the conversation they both knew they needed to have.

"Nami-ya," Law suddenly sighed out, his body leaning closer to hers as he spoke softly.

"No, Law," Nami interrupted before he could continue. "You don't have to say anything; we both know what happens next."

"What, pray tell, would that be?"

Nami turned to look at him then, her eyes narrowed in confusion as she regard his stoic face, unsure what he was thinking. She was surprised by how close he was to her, his breath fanning over her face lightly as he waited for her to answer while one of his hands moved to take hold of a lock of her hair, twirling it mindlessly as his bright blue eyes stayed locked on hers. When she opened her mouth to answer, she found her voice caught; emotions she desperately wanted to ignore fighting to reach the surface.

"I-" She began, pausing to search for words she couldn't find, only worsened as Law leaned in closer to her, scant inches from her as she found her voice once more. "We won't be seeing each other again, not after tomorrow."

"And who said that?" Law argued, continuing quickly before she could answer. "Your captain is my rival; we'll see each other again inevitably."

"Well, then there's the other problem," Nami bit out, annoyed at how easily he seemed to be taking their separation. "If, or when, we see each other again, we'll be enemies, we can't let anything that's happened change that fact."

"True, and when that happens I have no intentions of holding back." He responded breezily, smirking slightly as he leaned in closer to her until his nose brushed hers. "And when I beat Mugiwara-ya, I'll just take you for myself then."

"What!? You can't just decide-" The young woman began to argue, only to find herself interrupted as he slammed his lips against hers, silencing her with a deep and desperate kiss that told her everything she needed to know- she would be missed.

Nami eagerly returned the kiss, moaning when his hand moved to the back of her head, tangling into her hair as he turned to pull her closer. As he stood closer to his full height, she had to wrap her arms around his neck to help pull herself up, his other arm wrapping around her waist to give her extra support as they embraced. As their bodies molded together, their passion heightened, their kiss turning into a frantic assault as they both craved more.

"My crew knows not to bother us," Law said after pulling away for a quick breath, his lips trailing to her neck as he listened to her panting in his arms. "They won't be back to the ship for a few more hours, either."

"Then what are we still doing here?" Nami remarked with a low moan as he sucked tenderly at the junction of her neck and shoulder, making her melt against him.

A deep chuckle was all he gave in answer before they found themselves tucked away in his quarters, enjoying one last night together without any interruptions.

* * *

"Hey! Where's Nami and Traffy!? They're missing the party!" Luffy's voice rang out in the Aquarium bar as he looked around the room for the pair.

"I think they needed some time to talk, Luffy," Robin answered with a slight knowing chuckle, a soft smile on her face as she regarded her captain. "They've been through a lot these past few weeks together."

The Heart Pirates enjoying the revelry on the Thousand Sunny all gave each other looks mixed with amusement and sadness, all of them very aware of how close the two had become, even if they didn't know details. They had all become a bit attached to the Straw Hat navigator, too, and saying good-bye to her was going to be a very difficult thing to do in the morning.

"But the party's for them!" Luffy pouted stubbornly, biting into a chunk of meat as he stared out the door leading to the deck. He gave a low hum in thought before turning slightly, his aim obviously to go seek out the two missing people.

"Luffy." Zoro's stern voice caused him to pause, the young man turning to his swordsman, the man who had been with him longest, who he trusted implicitly to stand beside him until the end. "Leave them be."

The young captain blinked at him in confusion, before pouting again. "But-"

"Shitty captain," a deep voice interrupted before he could try and argue, bringing everyone's attention to Sanji as he moved to stand by the door, taking a deep puff from his cigarette before continuing to address Luffy. "As much as I hate to admit it, the Marimo is right, give them some time."

Sanji's sincerity was the final thing to sway the captain's stubbornness, the young man frowning for a moment before shrugging indifferently, jumping back into the party as if nothing had happened. The cook, for all his calm, was feeling just as anxious to go find Nami, his foot tapping as if he were preparing to kick someone telling everyone that much, but instead he held his ground, staying with the rest as he respected his crewmate's needs. As much as he hated to admit that there was something going on between his beloved Nami-swan and the rival captain, he knew that it wasn't his place to interfere, and he'd do whatever he could to see that the woman was happy.

* * *

The next morning, Law rolled over with a groan of annoyance, distantly hearing shouts from his crew as his hand searched for the woman he had fallen asleep with. When he found nothing but empty sheet, he pried open one eye to see that Nami was gone, the woman leaving him without a word as he slept. As he sat up, brushing his hand over his face, his attention once more went back to the shouting in the halls of his ship as he idly realized that his crew was calling him. With sluggish movements he pulled himself from bed, grabbing his jeans and a shirt before heading out to see what the commotion was all about.

"Captain!" Bepo cried out as he made his way into the hall, waving at the bear in a tired fashion as he continued on his way to the deck. "The Straw Hats are leaving! You almost missed them!"

Law only gave him a small frown in response, well aware that Nami had probably intended to leave before his crew had a chance to see her off, the woman wanting to avoid any sort of emotional goodbye. At his crews' insistence, though, he quickly made his way up to the main deck, just in time to spy the Thousand Sunny pulling away from the harbor they had been anchored to. His eyes lazily searched the deck for a mess of orange hair, the only person onboard that ship that really mattered to him in that moment.

He spotted Luffy, sitting on the railing as he waved joyfully to them, shouting his goodbyes in his usual happy-go-lucky manner. Around him the majority of his crew leaned over the banister, sending their own waves before getting settled in around the ship. At the helm, Franky sent a short wave before focusing on his job of steering the ship out of port. Sanji stood by the door to the kitchen, puffing on a cigarette as he sent Law a somewhat unsettling glare before giving him a short nod and heading into the galley. Zoro was positioned against the mast, settling into the grass for his normal early morning nap. Usopp, Brook, and Chopper stayed with their captain, the group keeping up their boisterous calls. Robin stood a ways off, chuckling to herself as she watched them fool around. And Nami… Nami was nowhere in sight.

Just as he was preparing to go back into his ship, though, he spotted it. Tucked away into the mikan trees on the Sunny was that mess of orange hair he'd been looking for, the woman slowly venturing out into his view to send him a small smile. It was then that he let a smug grin cross his face; his eyes locked on her form as he drank in the sight of her. Clad in tight shorts and a bikini top, she was already begging for him to steal her away, but making that temptation far worse was the button down black shirt she had draped over her, the very shirt she had been borrowing from him for much her time on his ship.

He knew it then; it was her silent way of telling him that she was his, even though they couldn't be together. Keeping his eyes on her, he moved to lean against the railing on his deck, sending her a knowing grin as her ship drifted away. He continued to watch, even after the Sunny was nothing more than a dot on the horizon, his mind drifting into thoughts of one day getting her back and never letting her go. It was until the sound of a throat clearing behind him, that he finally turned his attention back to his men, glancing at Shachi as he came to stand beside him.

"Ah, Captain," he began, holding out a small envelope for him to take as he went on; "she left these with me before she left. She said she wanted you to have them."

Law silently took the proffered envelope and opened it to inspect the contents, his eyes widening in shock as he saw the few pictures tucked away inside, the photos from the morning his crew had caught them asleep together in her room. His eyes jumped up to his crew member, narrowing slightly on the man as he silently asked for him to explain.

"She had me develop them last night, two sets of each picture," Shachi rushed to explain. "Then she destroyed the negatives so we couldn't make any more."

The captain let out a small chuckle then, removing the photos to take a closer look at them as he felt somewhat glad she had thought to leave him with at least one keepsake. The fact she had a set for herself told him just as much as the stolen shirt she wore did.

Tucking the pictures into his pocket, he turned to head back into the ship, calling to his crew over his shoulder. "Let's get outta here; we have a lot to do to get back on track. Can't stay idle and let Mugiwara-ya have all the fun in the New World, now can we?"

He smirked at the sounds of everyone erupting into cheers, the deck emptying quickly as they all began to leave port themselves and head back out into the New World. He had plans still waiting to unfold, chaos to create amongst the Yonkou, and possibly even the World Government, and he couldn't stand around like a lovesick fool thinking of the girl he couldn't have.

The faster he got his plans done, the faster he could have the only other thing he wanted now. In the end, he'd make sure Nami was his, no matter what he had to do to see it happen.

* * *

**And sorry for any errors, I'm too lazy to do a third and fourth read thru like I normally do.**

**One last thank you to you all, too. XD**


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